Ghost Protocol: Meet the Civilian
by Heartlocket1004
Summary: Katelyn Taylor thought she knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to a vacation in Moscow. But life has a way of twisting our plans, and Kat finds that out the hard way when she accidentally runs into Ethan Hunt. Now she's running from the Russian police, while trying to stop a nuclear extremist and not fall for a certain 'analyst'. Hey, no-one said life was easy.
1. Bad Luck

*A/N I do not own Mission Impossible, or any of the characters. I only own my own character. Story contains spoilers for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

 ** _Moscow_**

' _How did I let them talk me into this?_ ' Kat wondered.

She and two of her friends were currently outside the Kremlin, and Kat honestly had no idea why. It wasn't that she couldn't appreciate the culture and history behind the building; sure, she had never really liked history but that was mostly because she hated being tested on the material. And she loved culture, one of the reasons she had studied so many languages throughout highschool and college. No, what she couldn't understand was why she had to be standing outside _the_ Kremlin while her friends flirted with a few of the young men from a British tour group.

This was the fourth time that day, and Kat was honestly starting to get tired of 'touring' the old Russian city. When her old college roommate had invited them to her home, Kat had thought she would enjoy a five-day trip to Russia; so far, she was at day two and already regretting taking her friend's offer. The first day had been all about 'touring' the local bars and clubs, the other two girls chatting up any man they could - even though Bella couldn't even speak Russian. In some ways, you had to admire the redhead's skills. And today, they'd gone around the city on what Kat had been hoping would be an actual tour but had turned into finding all the good-looking men they could and flirting with them in front of famous landmarks.

' _I really just want to go home._ ' Kat sighed, brushing back her long brown hair as she stared blankly at the Kremlin walls once more from where she stood a few paces away from where Bella and Anya were chatting with the British men. ' _Why did I think this was a good idea again?_ '

As the thought passed through Kat's mind, she spotted someone coming out of the Kremlin, slipping out a side door not too far from where she was. While that, in itself, might not have been cause for suspicion, she frowned as she watched the man slip his jacket on… backwards. Except, it looked like it was supposed to be on backwards. _Except_ she was pretty sure she'd seen military insignia on the other side of the jacket.

His brown eyes met her green ones as she frowned at him, and she watched as his eyes narrowed just slightly- as though he was gauging her reaction. But a few seconds later, they were all distracted as the entire ground shook beneath their feet, almost knocking Kat off her feet. Bella and Anya also finally paused in their flirtations, joining the rest of the crowd as they all looked around in confusion. Kat turned to look back at the strange man just as he turned and met her gaze once more, this time in horror.

Kat found out why a second later. An entire section of the Kremlin suddenly blew up, the building starting to crumble as the ground gave way. Kat gasped as she watched with wide-eyed fear and then terror as the explosion caused a ripple effect and she screamed as the ground began to collapse all around the Kremlin. She spun, starting to run away as she heard Anya and Bella also scream, but she tripped as the ground shook once more.

She hit the floor, feeling the pain flare up on her knees but she tried to ignore it as she started to get up in panic. She had to run, she knew that, but she also knew she wasn't going to make it. She had already been too close, and the fall had cost her seconds she didn't have. As the despairing thought gripped her, she heard a man yell: "Get down!"

Kat didn't even have time to act on the order before someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her down as he shielded her with his body and the ground exploded behind them. Kat flew through the air, the force of the blast knocking her out before she even hit the ground.

* * *

Kat slowly regained consciousness, groaning slightly as she opened her eyes and squinted, trying to focus through her bleary vision. She was lying flat on a bed somewhere, maybe back at Anya's house - although she had no idea where or why or how - and from the sound of it, someone had turned on the TV. She couldn't quite remember how she'd gotten back; it was somewhat of a blur…

But as she fully woke up, she groaned again. Everything hurt- her head, her body, her limbs, particularly her knees. Kat moaned again, slowly lifting her hand with the intent of clutching her throbbing head but stopped as a metal clang sounded and something bit into her wrist, abruptly pulling her hand back down.

Kat frowned, glancing down as she tried to clear her vision. Her eyes slowly focused on the silver circlet wrapped around her right wrist, and she tried to lift her left hand to pull at the new addition to her jewellry. She stopped when there was another soft clang and her left hand was also pulled back. Kat turned her head to see the same metal circlet around her left wrist and her eyes widened as her mind finally registered what the metal circlet was.

"What the hell?" She cried in a panic as she jiggled her arms, trying to free her hands from the handcuffs.

"What?" Someone groaned from beside her and Kat whipped her head around to see a brown-haired man lying on a cot beside her, the same man she'd seen coming out of the Kremlin-

"Oh, my God." Kat gasped as she remembered: the Kremlin had exploded, and so had the ground, and she'd run, Bella and Anya had run, they'd all run, and-

"Sh." The man groaned at her as he shifted, wincing slightly at the movement. He seemed to be looking at the TV right across from them, playing the news and showing them the smoking remains of the one wing of the Kremlin.

Kat swallowed, examining him quickly as he stared at the TV. He was quite handsome with chocolate brown hair, currently looking a little singed from their encounter with the Kremlin explosion, and piercing brown eyes. He was shirtless and his feet were bare, and Kat's breath caught when she saw the man's extremely well-toned chest and stomach. He had to workout at least a few hours every day to get abs like that, but Kat was more worried about the dark blue and purple bruises forming along his sides. If he looked that bad…

She shifted, now taking in her situation and surroundings. She was dressed in a hospital gown, also barefoot, and cuffed to a bed in a Russian hospital while nurses and doctors ran around, shouting orders as more and more injured people were rolled in through the doors. Her whole body ached in a way that told her she probably had wicked bruising as well, and she could feel some cuts on her face although it didn't appear to be too bad. It almost felt like a paper cut- just on her face.

Her knees also burnt., and glancing down, she saw that they were indeed cut and also slightly bruised, although it didn't look as bad as she feared either. At most, she figured she'd need ice and maybe a stitch or two although it looked like she'd gotten lucky on her fall.

' _Yeah._ Really _lucky._ ' Kat thought anxiously as she glanced over to the TV, reading the headlines and listening to the newscaster as best as she could. The images were horrifying, showing the people being hauled out and medics shouting as they tried to get everyone onto stretchers and to help. Kat frowned however, when she heard what the newscaster was saying. Her Russian wasn't quite that good, but she did catch parts of it that sounded like the explosion had been an accident.

' _Accident? Unlikely._ ' She thought, when she was distracted as a scratchy male voice commented: "Our media," she glanced over to see a Russian man, about late forties at a guess, as he circled her and her companion's beds, "is no more truthful than yours… American."

He said the last word like it was dirt in his mouth, his already heavy accent spitting out the word as his lips curled back in distaste. Kat swallowed, wondering who this man was and what he wanted. Was he the reason she was handcuffed to the bed?

"But we three know," the man continued as he circled Kat before stopping beside the American man once more, "that there'll cause of the explosion was _you_."

He looked right at the pair, his dark, angry eyes moving between Kat and the strange man beside her as he held up the jacket Kat had seen the stranger wearing when he'd come out of the Kremlin. And she swallowed when the Russian flipped the jacket to show part of the inside… which had Russian military insignia. Just as Kat had suspected she'd seen.

' _Oh, God._ ' She groaned. ' _I'm lying next to a terrorist._ '

The Russian man had pulled a recorder from his pocket and he played a message back to Kat and the stranger beside her: 'Awaiting your go sign, Team leader. Standing by to detonate.'

Kat blanched while the stranger sighed. He looked like he was about to argue, but the Russian man interrupted before he could even open his mouth, saying darkly: "The worst part for you, 'team leader'...is I'm the man assigned to make you and your partner suffer for it," Kat frowned, "for what you did to my country."

He leant back but Kat interrupted, her heart starting to pound as dread trickled like ice down her spine: "Wait," the Russian glanced at her, "what partner?"

He raised a brow as he looked at her and she panicked.

"Look, you've got it wrong." Kat pleaded. "I don't know this guy, I was just visiting!"

"She really does have nothing to do with this." The stranger told the man as Kat struggled to try and get through to the man.

"Nice try." The Russian sneered. "But you found with him," he looked back at Kat, "and we found your DNA on this." He held up the jacket. "And _this_ in your bag."

The man held up a piece of broken equipment and Kat frowned at it, not understanding.

"The remains of a highly specialized hacking technology." He finished, and Kat's eyes widened as she looked at the man in panic.

"That's not mine." Kat stammered, glancing at the American lying beside her as he grimaced. Clearly, he knew what the tech was. "Look, I'm just a normal tourist, I can prove it with my passport or-"

The man had raised both brows, watching her as though entertained as he leant back, reaching for a lighter as he stuck a cigarette casually in his mouth. But before he could light it, it was snatched out of his mouth by the nurse as she snapped at him in Russian: "This is clinic, not a bar."

The Russian man glared at the nurse but she glared right back as she scolded: "Don't give me that look. Misha!" She called sharply to one of the men helping with all the injured people. "Help me with him. Quick!"

Kat's heart dropped as the nurse and the man called Misha began to roll the American stranger off.

"No, wait!" She cried. He was the one behind this entire thing, and the reason she was also being partly blamed for the crime she didn't commit. Hell, she didn't even know what a bomb actually looked like, let alone set one off on a world famous landmark! And Kat had the sinking feeling that if she got separated from the man, she would be doomed.

"Hey!" Kat cried, while the Russian man watched her with amusement as she squirmed.

"You sure are putting on a convincing act." The man observed and she glared at him.

But before Kat could argue, or even open her mouth, another nurse had come to roll her away while the Russian man's assistant hurried over and began to speak with him in a hushed undertone. Kat just caught the words: ' _question them_ ' before she was rolled into a ward, away from everyone. She began to panic, not knowing what to do as she tried to twist her hands free to no avail.

Kat jumped when someone suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her scream as she turned her startled eyes to the side. Her eyes widened as she saw it was the stranger from before, somehow free from his own manacles.

"Don't scream, and I'll get you out of here." The man promised and Kat swallowed. He stared at her, clearly waiting for a response and Kat slowly, reluctantly, nodded. The man removed his hand, starting to work what Kat saw was a bent paperclip into her handcuffs.

"Why are you helping me?" Kat demanded quietly, and he glanced up at her just as he unlocked the first handcuff.

"Because I'm the one who dragged you into this mess." He admitted. "They found your DNA on my jacket, and that's why you've become a suspect."

Kat's body seemed to be freezing over, her fear making her blood go cold as her heart sank to her stomach.

"But I sweat I'll get you out of this, and get you home." He promised as he stared right into her eyes. Kat blinked taken-aback by the sincerity in the man's brown eyes.

"...Are you trying to gain my trust, kidnap me, and somehow place the blame on me?" Kat deadpanned as the man removed the last handcuff.

"Will you even believe me if I say no?" The man sighed as he moved around her bed, going towards the ward window.

"No." Kat admitted. "Why can't we just call the police?"

"Because that was the police." He told her, nodding out the doorway. Kat glanced over to see the Russian man from earlier, still absorbed in his conversation with his assistant, or rather, she realized, his partner.

"So why can't we go to them and tell them the truth?" Kat demanded, and the man sighed.

"Because they're convinced we're the ones who set off that bomb, and with my coat, they have 'proof' against us." His tone clearly made air-quotes on the word as he spoke and Kat glared at him as he opened the window. "And in case you didn't know, Russia isn't exactly our best friend, so our so-called attack gives them all the excuse they need to kill us. If we're lucky."

Kat paled, but she tried to keep her voice strong as she demanded: "What makes you not the bomber?"

"It wasn't me." He told her firmly, and she challenged: "How can I believe that, if you're so anxious to avoid the police?"

"Look," the man sighed, "you can stay if you want, and I'll just go on my way. But those guys are probably going to take you in and torture you, thinking you're a terrorist, or worse."

Kat swallowed, once again fighting panic as she asked slowly: "What do you mean by 'worse'?"

He just looked at her before he hopped onto the windowsill.

"So, the way I see it," he continued as he moved out the window and onto the ledge right outside while Kat ogled, "you have three choices. One, you stay here and get caught and tortured or killed for information you obviously don't have."

She lost all colour she'd had, but he went on as though he hadn't seen: "Two, you _try_ to get away on your own and see how far you can get."

She swallowed, but again he went on: "Or three," he looked right at her, "you follow me, do as I say, and I promise I'll get you home safe."

She stared at him, deliberating, and his eyes flickered behind her, towards the open doorway.

"Any time _now_ would be good." He said pointedly and Kat finally found her tongue.

"Are you a spy or something?" She asked, and he glanced at her before looking back at the door.

"Something like that." He answered and Kat swallowed, hard. She moved over to where he was sitting on the window ledge and Kat's heart clenched when she saw the five floor drop below.

"Will I get home alive?" Kat whispered and the man's eyes softened to warm brown.

"I promise I'll try." He replied seriously, and Kat took a deep breath.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she climbed up and out the window, the man helping her settle on the window ledge. She could hear an ambulance siren wailing somewhere in the distance, but Kat tried not to focus on that or to look down as the man began to move, edging along the narrow ledge and towards the building corner as he kept himself pressed against the hospital wall.

"Come on." He urged her when he glanced back and saw she hadn't moved.

"Yeah… coming." Kat breathed and he glanced back at her sharply.

Kat didn't see his concerned look, too busy taking a deep breath before getting to her feet shakily. She placed her bare feet gingerly on the cold stone ledge, leaning her entire body flat against the hospital wall as she carefully edged her way after the 'spy'.

"One step at a time." Kat muttered to herself, keeping her eyes trained on her feet and the foot or so ahead of her path along the wall. She was so focused on watching her feet and trying not to slip on the slanted stone, she missed the surprise that crossed her companion's face before he turned and quickly made it to the edge of the ledge.

He peered around the corner, looking for a way down, just as Kat reached his side. Kat kept herself focused on her breathing, glancing back at the windowsill they'd climbed out of as she tried to keep her eyes distracted from the long drop down. But her breath caught at what she saw, and she reached her right hand over to tap her companion's shoulder.

"Uh…" She began and he glanced back at her.

Catching the direction of her gaze, he glanced at the window and made a slight face. There, leaning partially out of the window, was the Russian policeman, his brow raised as he watched them.

"What do we do?" Kat whispered as the Russian glanced down. Her companion did the same, his expression contemplative and Kat looked down at what he was staring at. She blanched.

"You aren't." She said shakily as she stared at the open dumpster below. The policeman seemed to be entertained by their predicament as he leaned casually against the windowsill, pulling out his cigarette. Kat glanced back at the Russian, as did her companion, and the policeman simply gestured down at the bin casually, challenging them to jump.

"Oh, God." Kat moaned as her companion breathed heavily, shifting as though preparing himself to jump. The Russian had taken out his lighter, lighting his cigarette as he settled to watch their decision and Kat honestly wanted to smack the man, kill her companion, or kill herself. Maybe all of the above.

She sighed, partly in relief and partly in fear, as her companion deliberated for another moment before he sagged slightly in defeat and he glanced at Kat and then the Russian man sheepishly.

The Russian caught the look and he called humorously: "Not a good idea."

"Seemed like one." Kat's companion replied lightly. "A minute ago."

The Russian nodded, as though in understanding, before he gestured for them to come back. Kat glanced at her companion, and then her face fell in dismay as he reached over to hold her steady before nudging her to go back towards the police officer. Kat bit her lip, fighting the despair that was starting to set in her stomach as she slowly did as he silently urged. The Russian officer was smiling smugly as the pair inched their way back, Kat's face clearly resigned.

Suddenly though, her partner nudged her again to stop. Kat paused uncertainly, glancing back as she balanced precariously on the slippery ledge. Her companion's gaze was shifting around, pausing momentarily down below before he suddenly reached for his belt.

"Trust me?" He whispered to her so that the Russian couldn't hear them above the ambulance siren. She stared at him as he pulled his belt, grasping it in a loop in his hand.

"What?" She whispered, and he murmured: "Hold onto me. Tight."

Kat did as he said quickly, wrapping her arms and legs around his side and making the Russian man frown as he watched them, puzzled.

"Don't let go." Kat's companion murmured and before she could answer he leapt off the ledge.

Kat screamed bloody murder as her companion threw his belt over a cable line that ran from the hospital roof to the roof of the next building across the street, about four stories below. A part of her noted she should probably keep quiet but her body betrayed her as fear took over. They sailed down the line, Kat clinging to her companion for all she was worth as he took them down.

"Hang on!" He ordered and Kat almost retorted before she screamed again as he let go of his belt. They crashed onto the roof of a van as it drove right below them, and Kat's screams cut off as they skid right off the roof and onto the pavement below.

Her companion wrapped his arms around her as they tumbled, shielding her as best as he could as they landed with pained grunts, rolling along the street as the van came to a screeching halt beside them. Kat vaguely heard the driver yelling at them in Russian, but she was too dazed to focus on the words and so had no idea what he was saying.

"Run!" Her companion suddenly ordered, pulling her to her feet and dragging her with him around the nearest corner, before the Russian policeman could fire at them.

"What?" Kat asked, still in shock, and he ordered: "Run!"

He grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he sprinted away down the street and away from the murderous Russian police. As they ran, their feet pounding on the cobbled stone pavement, all Kat could think was: ' _What did I ever do to deserve_ this _kind of bad luck?_ '


	2. Ghost Protocol

Kat shivered as she walked quickly beside her new 'friend', trying to keep up as he fast-walked down the streets of Moscow. The second they were out of immediate danger, he led her along a row of apartments, snatching two hoodies from two different washing lines. He passed one to her, and she quickly covered herself with the too-big garment as he pulled on his.

She wondered if he'd chosen hers on purpose, because it hung past her thighs and effectively covered the hospital gown, although it made it look like she wasn't wearing underneath. He pulled both their hoods on swiftly, making Kat start, but he didn't even flinch as he quickly and silently led the way down another street.

An ambulance drove by, sirens wailing, drawing everyone's attention and her companion stole a pair of shoes from first one and then another street vendor while they weren't looking. He slipped his boots on quickly before nudging them down an alley and letting her slide into the ankle-boots he'd picked up for her. They were slightly too big, but Kat knew it would have to do.

Before she'd even straightened up, her companion was moving again, walking swiftly back down another street and Kat hurried to follow him. They passed a café, and as an old man got up to go and get his coffee, her companion swiped the cellphone lying on the table. Kat glanced around uneasily, wondering how he was doing all of this without attracting attention, before she glanced back to him as he spoke for the first time.

"Set 20. Agent A2 delta echo, requesting immediate evac. Rendezvous Alpha 1-1-3."

Kat stared at him, before she jumped as he threw the phone into a sewage pipe opening. She almost glanced back but he pulled her along, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leaning his head in to hers as they passed a few people in the street.

"Just pretend to look comfortable." He murmured and she immediately tensed.

"Yeah, the opposite of what you just did." He pointed out and she whispered back to him: "I'm not exactly used to this."

"I know." He replied.

There was a pause before he added softly: "I'm sorry."

She shook her head slightly and they lapsed into silence once more. As her companion led her down another street, Kat asked: "Where are we going?"

"We're stalling." He answered quietly, pressing his mouth against her hair to ensure no-one would hear him. "Until it's time for the rendezvous."

Kat quieted again as they walked passed another giggling couple, and as the couple disappeared and her companion led her around a corner, Kat asked softly: "Can I ask your name?"

He seemed to pause, and Kat could tell he was deliberating her question although his countenance and posture didn't change at all.

"If you tell me yours." He answered at length and Kat nodded.

"Katelyn Taylor." She told him and he almost smiled.

"Ethan Hunt." He answered and she nodded again.

"I'd say it was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Hunt, but..." She joked half-heartedly and he chuckled a little.

"I'd say the same, Miss Taylor." He answered as he led her down another shadowy alley, the pair slipping into the darkness as the sun began to set.

* * *

' _I'm hungry._ ' Kat thought with a small sigh. ' _And cold. And tired._ '

They'd been walking for hours, never stopping for more than a minute at most. Kat hadn't eaten since brunch that morning, and even that hadn't been much considering she'd gotten sick of watching her friends flirt with the waiter and quickly gotten them to leave with their food half-finished. Did she regret that decision now.

The flimsy hoodie wasn't helping either, as Kat tried not to shiver every time the cold Russian wind bit into her bare legs and whipped up under the hoodie to send shivers up her spine. Ethan didn't seem to notice, although she doubted that was actually the case. His eyes kept flitting around, resting on her briefly every minute or so, as he continuously scanned their surroundings and watched her condition.

But there wasn't much he could do, other than steal a pair of pants for her, but Kat had prevented him from doing that, to his surprise. But as she had told him seriously, she would deal with a little cold rather than feel bad about stealing yet _another_ item. Especially since it looked like they were stealing from people who didn't look like they could afford to lose a pair of pants.

Although, Kat had to admit that as it got darker and the wind got all the colder, she really hoped their rendezvous time would be soon. She wasn't sure if she could keep her teeth from chattering any longer. They were just passing a bar when Ethan paused for the first time that day. He turned to look inside, and Kat also peered over to see the TV inside playing the news.

They watched and Kat's face fell as the news clipping showed a happy couple smiling for the camera when suddenly the ground shook beneath them and they and the camera turned to watch as the Kremlin came crashing down.

"Oh God…" Kat whispered, and Ethan wrapped his arm around her shoulders again.

"I'll get you home." He promised quietly, and Kat glanced at him.

"Do you think…" She began before she trailed off. He examined her, waiting and Kat whispered: "Do you think anyone who was near us made it out?"

He immediately caught what she meant. Ethan recalled seeing her turn to two other young women, roughly her age, at the Kremlin when the explosion began. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as he answered: "We made it out, and they had a head start on you. They'll be fine."

Kat nodded slowly, not really believing him but knowing that there was nothing she could do at the moment. She would just have to wait until she was safely back in the US before trying to call them and find out if they were okay.

Ethan turned, leading her off again and Kat almost sighed, when he suddenly tilted off and into the shadows of an alleyway. Kat glanced at him in surprise as he headed off in a completely different direction from before, heading for the river, which he had actively been avoiding until now. For good reason.

Kat tensed as police cars sped passed them on the street, but Ethan kept her going as he walked at a casual pace, not drawing attention to them. Kat tried to keep her feet from shuffling, the exhaustion and the ill-fitting shoes starting to really take their toll. Ethan headed down another alley, passing under bridge just as a car pulled up alongside the tunnel opening.

Kat tensed, but Ethan simply walked up to the car so she followed. The door slid open before they arrived and Ethan popped his head in before he gestured at Kat.

"Come on." He helped her slip inside, and Kat glanced uneasily at the two men sitting across from her as she slid across the seats to let Ethan in.

He climbed in after her, greeting the elderly gentleman sitting across from him: "Mr. Secretary."

Kat glanced at the man, and then the younger, blond-haired man sitting with a laptop beside the Secretary. He looked maybe ten years older than her at most, handsome, and appeared to be the Secretary's assistant of sorts from the smart way he was dressed. He'd cast her a curious glance as well before his eyes shifted back to Ethan as the latter shut the door, saying to the Secretary with some small surprise: "Wasn't aware you were in Russia."

"I'm not." The Secretary answered bluntly. "Not since a bomb blew up the Kremlin."

His eyes shifted over to Kat as she huddled into the corner of her seat, curling in against the car window as the car smoothly rolled out.

"Who is this?" The Secretary asked, and Kat glanced over uneasily as Ethan answered: "Civilian."

Both the Secretary and the man beside him raised their brows in surprise, while Ethan introduced: "Katelyn Taylor, meet my boss, Mr. Secretary."

"Hello…" Kat said uneasily as the Secretary examined her once more before turning back to Ethan as the agent explained: "She was caught in the explosion with me, and now the Russian police suspect her of being my accomplice in the bombing."

Kat swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as the men glanced back at her. The Secretary seemed contemplative while the younger man gave her an almost pitying look that rubbed Kat the wrong way. She didn't like her situation, but she also didn't like feeling like she was being treated as an unfortunate creature. Even if it was somewhat true.

"We will get you home safe, and ensure you are cleared, young lady." The Secretary told her kindly and Kat blinked, startled.

"Oh." She murmured, glancing down at her hands as she tried not to look too uncomfortable. "That would be… nice. Thank you, sir."

Kat internally cringed, knowing she'd sounded as awkward as she felt. The blond man had given her another pitying look, and she stared down at her hands to avoid seeing any more. She really didn't want to be pitied at the moment. Truth be told, all she wanted was to be on a plane home, and maybe with a nice warm blanket. And a cup of hot chocolate.

The Secretary, meanwhile, had turned back to Ethan as he explained grimly: "Yesterday I flew in to accept the order of friendship from Russian Prime Minister. Now I'm headed back to Washington, to hand the President my resignation."

Kat looked over uncertainly, just in time to see Ethan's gaze flit momentarily to the younger man sitting across from Kat. The man immediately averted his gaze, turning to look back down at his laptop, while the Secretary answered Ethan's silent question: "My chief analyst. William Brandt."

The man looked up again at his name and extended his hand towards Ethan in a handshake.

"Pen?" Ethan asked abruptly as he began to wipe his right hand on his hoodie, and both Kat and Brandt looked at him blankly.

"Pardon?" Brandt asked, and Ethan said, louder and impatiently: "Pen."

Brandt blinked at him before withdrawing his hand, instead pulling out the pen in his suit jacket pocket and handing it over. Kat glanced at him curiously as Ethan began to draw on his right palm, while the Secretary asked sternly: "Ethan, what happened in the Kremlin?"

Ethan glanced up from his drawing, looking at Brandt as he asked: "Chief analyst you said?"

Kat peered slightly at Ethan's drawing as Brandt frowned, saying slowly: "If you're implying that I made a bad call-"

"European male," Ethan interrupted as he finished up his drawing, "fifties," Brandt's frown deepened in confusion as did Kat's, "about 6 foot, 180 pounds," he showed Brandt the drawing he'd made on his hand, "blue eyes. Who is he?"

The Secretary also turned to Brandt, waiting while Kat glanced around a little uneasily. Brandt glanced at Ethan's hand briefly before he answered slowly: "Crude drawing, but by your description," he looked back at Ethan, "that could be Kurt Hendricks."

Ethan lowered his hand, his gaze sharp as he listened to Brandt attentively as the latter listed: "190 IQ, served in Swedish Special Forces, Professor of Physics, Stockholm University. Specialist in nuclear and game theory. Asked to resign…"

He paused, glancing at the Secretary and then back at Ethan as he shrugged: "Well, because he's crazy."

' _Wonderful._ ' Kat thought gloomily, before glancing at Ethan as he murmured: "Cobalt."

His eyes were unfocused, staring into space. They slowly came back into focus as he murmured to the Secretary: "You have to alert the Kremlin that one of their strategists has a nuclear launch device."

Kat's face blanched while the Secretary and Brandt's faces became grim, the pair listening intently as Ethan continued seriously: "And what if his operatives have the codes activated?"

"What makes you say that?" Brandt questioned, his brows furrowed thoughtfully, and Ethan turned to him.

"I saw him." He replied flatly. "Leaving the executive armory, bag in hand."

Ethan turned back to the Secretary as he urged: "He set off that explosion to cover his tracks." Kat's mouth fell open, but no-one noticed or cared. "It could be weeks before the Russians know it's missing. Unless we tell them."

"They won't listen to us." The Secretary replied with a small sigh, while Kat continued to gape at the group. "As far as the Russians are concerned, we just bombed the Kremlin."

Ethan sat up straighter, his gaze focused solely on the Secretary as the man continued: "The tension between the United States and Russia hasn't been this high since the Cuban Missile Crisis. And the blame, right or wrong, points to IMF."

Kat frowned, the acronym not familiar to her, but it obviously meant a lot to Ethan. His face changed, his head lowering slightly in deep thought and Kat glanced at him uneasily as she wondered if maybe it meant his spy organization. Like CIA, or something.

Brandt had been watching Ethan as well, but his eyes flitted over to Kat as the Secretary told Ethan grimly: "The President has initiated 'Ghost Protocol'. The entire IMF has been disavowed."

Kat had no idea what that meant exactly, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. The way the Secretary said the words and Ethan's dark glare said it all. Kat bit her lip, suddenly worried for her new acquaintance and quite frankly savior (even if it could be argued that he was the reason she was in trouble in the first place).

"So what happens now?" Ethan asked in a deadly calm voice, and it almost made shivers go up Kat's spine. It was the tone of someone keeping forcibly calm, but held the promise of a deadly storm brewing below, and it was only then that it really hit Kat that Ethan Hunt was a spy, and most likely a very good one.

"Now," the Secretary replied, "I've been ordered to take you back to Washington, where D.O.D. will label you as a rogue extremist-"

"What?" Kat asked sharply and involuntarily, and almost regretted. Brandt's sharp gaze landed on her, his expression clearly telling her to keep quiet if she knew what was good for her.

Ethan's eyes had flickered over to her before he glanced at Brandt, carefully weighing his situation as the Secretary continued, as though Kat hadn't interrupted: "-And hang the Kremlin bombing on you and your team."

Ethan's eyes had flitted across to the gun holstered to the car door, right by Brandt's side. Brandt saw the look and tensed, his eyes watching Ethan like a hawk as Ethan glanced again quickly at Kat. Kat was also glancing around warily; she hadn't caught all the subtle glances but she could tell Ethan wouldn't just be taken down without a fight. He'd tensed slightly beside her and she had seen Brandt tense just slightly in return.

"Unless." The whole group tensed further, but the Secretary was focused solely on Ethan as the latter glanced back at him, and the Secretary said quickly and quietly: "You were to escape," Ethan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, listening silently, while Brandt frowned and Kat chewed her lip, "somewhere between here and the airport, having assaulted Mr. Brandt and me-"

"Sir?" Brandt asked, turning to look at the Secretary in confused disbelief.

Ethan was watching the Secretary with dark eyes as the man continued, his gaze also not moving off Ethan as he continued: "-Leaving the young lady to call for help. You would then illegally scrounge whatever material you could from the backup supply cache that I've overlooked," Kat frowned while Brandt's jaw tightened in clear disagreement, "the same cache where your team," the Secretary pointed at Ethan, "are awaiting for further orders."

"Sir, you may want to rethi-" Brandt began, but the Secretary simply held up a hand to silence him. Kat watched as Brandt did exactly that, although his face was clearly unhappy, while the Secretary continued to Ethan: "You will then disappear. And this conversation never having taken place, your intentions would unclear."

Ethan cocked his head thoughtfully while Brandt glanced at Kat, and then Ethan.

Ethan's eyes flitted over to Brandt before returning to the Secretary as the man warned: "But if anyone of your team is caught, or killed, they will be branded terrorists out to incite a global nuclear war."

Kat's eyes widened and she swallowed as she glanced at Ethan worriedly. Brandt's face was set in an unhappy frown, glaring into space, but he glanced back as the Secretary quickly pulled open a small bag, removing a USB drive and holding it up before Ethan.

"Your mission. Should you choose to accept it."

Kat watched, chewing her lip worriedly as Ethan took the USB, his face impassive. She started violently as something was held out in front of her, and she looked over sharply to see Brandt silently handing her his phone.

"You'll need this." He muttered and Kat swallowed before she took the cell with shaky hands.

Ethan had glanced over at the brief exchange, but he looked back at the Secretary as the man sighed deeply, his face filled with regret as he said to Ethan sadly: "Ethan, you were my best man."

Kat glanced over uneasily, not knowing what she should do as she continued to chew her lip while Ethan watched the Secretary impassively as the man continued sincerely: "And I'm sorry it's come to this, after all the sacrifices you've made."

There was something in the way he said the words that had Kat glance at the man and then Ethan. Ethan's face had a flicker of emotion, something that passed too quickly for Kat to tell what it was before he bowed his head, swallowing hard. As though fighting some strong emotion.

Kat glanced at Brandt, not knowing where else to look as the Secretary finished: "If we don't meet again, I just want you to know: I've always considered you a friend-"

There was a loud crash and Kat was suddenly thrown first into the window, banging her head hard against the glass as the windows on the other side shattered, before she was thrown to the other side, landing on Ethan as the car swerved sharply.

"Stay down!" Ethan yelled at the group, grabbing Kat and dragging her under him as he covered her while he yelled at the driver: "Drive! Drive, drive!"

Ethan ducked, shielding Kat as Brandt grabbed the Secretary and pulled him down as best as he could just as bullets came firing into the car, breaking through the rear window. Kat huddled down when suddenly a bullet hit the front windshield and ricocheted off with a sharp crack. Kat glanced up at the sound before she screamed as the bullet went right through the Secretary's forehead, the force whipping his head back as blood and brain matter splattered out the back of his head.

His head then lolled forehead, his eyes open and glazed and Kat screamed. Brandt, seeing what had happened, let go of the Secretary and instead grabbed Kat, hauling her down as bullets continued to rain down. She clutched at him, unable to stop the whimpers as she tried to make sense of the chaos and the horror around her. The car suddenly swerved, losing control and Kat realized the bullets must have hit the driver as well. She didn't know what to do, particularly when the car skid right over the edge of the road and towards the river below.

Kat screamed as she was lifted off the car floor as the car went into free fall, clinging onto Brandt and feeling him move to shield her as they hit the water. Kat gasped at the impact, unable to help it and immediately regretted it as water entered her mouth. She choked, trying to breath and hold her breath at once as panic sank in, when suddenly Brandt was hauling her up as the car hit the bottom of the river.

She gasped as her head broke the water surface in the small air pocket at the car floor which was now at the top, Brandt breathing heavily beside her as they both coughed, trying to breath, stay afloat in the rising water, and calm their racing hearts. Ethan broke the surface behind her, making her shriek once in alarm.

"You okay?" He demanded and Brandt nodded in response while Kat shook like a leaf.

"Katelyn?" He demanded and she nodded.

"Yeah." She managed to get out, and he ordered them: "Take a deep breath."

Ethan demonstrated, sucking in a large lungful before diving back under the water. Brandt followed, Kat joining them soon after as they began to swim out from under the car. The salty water stung Kat's eyes but she tried to keep them open as she followed Brandt who was following Ethan, only to crash into him as he stopped abruptly. Ethan and Brandt backpedalled quickly as bullets started raining down on them, Brandt grabbing Kat and pushing her back under cover as he went.

The three broke the surface once more, gasping for breath and Kat choked slightly as she accidentally drank in water. The water was rising steadily, and the amount of air was depleting quickly with it.

"What do we do?" Brandt asked, trying to keep calm while Kat choked on another mouthful of water. Brandt noticed, and grabbed her, pulling her up and showing her how to hold onto the ceiling to keep her head afloat.

Ethan meanwhile had grabbed a floating flare and he ordered: "Wait here."

He disappeared beneath the water's surface once more, and Brandt answered dryly: "Where else am I going to go?"

Kat coughed, trying not to drink in water, and Brandt glanced at her.

"Here, tilt your head more." He instructed, reaching out to lift her chin for her. Kat tried, pushing her lips more than her head towards the ceiling and keeping it in the air as the rest of her head was swallowed by the water.

"Hey, calm down." Brandt ordered as he saw the slowly building panic in the girl's face.

"Calm down?!" Kat demanded, starting to really freak out, and Brandt ordered: "Yes! Calm down!"

Kat glanced at him, and he could see she was on the brink of losing it and screaming at him, probably something insulting too by the looks of it. But he was surprised when she closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath before she looked at him once more and nodded her head in one short jerky movement.

"Just keep swimming." Kat muttered dryly, and Brandt snorted, although he couldn't quite mask his surprise at how she'd handled the situation.

They started as Ethan came back, motioning for them to move. They quickly took deep breaths before ducking back down and coming out of the car. Kat saw a body floating off down the river, the flare attached to its sleeve and drawing all the gunfire. Ethan quickly led them in the opposite direction, and Kat swam as quickly as she could after the other two men.

They broke the water's surface, hiding beneath the bridge pillars, out of sight from the gunmen as they continued to fire at the body floating down the river. Ethan motioned for them to be quiet before he led them quickly and silently away, heading up the river before he pulled himself out and onto land. Brandt followed, coughing as Ethan helped Kat out of the river, the latter also coughing up water.

He gave them three seconds to recover before leading them away, Brandt mostly recovered while Ethan had to haul Kat alongside him as she struggled to get her breathing back to normal.

* * *

Sidorov P.O.V.

Anatoly Sidorov, SVR agent, watched grimly as the remains of the car carrying his escaped Americans were pulled out of the water. It was empty but for one body that wasn't the one he was looking for, and the body his men had been firing stupidly at also came up negative.

Sidorov paused as his right-hand man came up to him and murmured: "Two prisoners escaped earlier today from the Moscow prison."

Sidorov's attention was caught immediately and he followed his man back to their car. His partner handed him a file, and Sidorov quickly opened it to reveal two men: one he didn't recognize, and the other, his missing American.

"Who is this?" He demanded as he pointed to the one he didn't know, a man named Bogdan. "What do we know about him?"

"I will find out." His partner answered and Sidorov nodded.

"And the girl?" He asked and his partner handed him the other file. Sidorov opened it, his eyes glancing quickly at the photo that showed the same young face he'd seen at the hospital, before he skimmed her file.

His brows shot up as his partner pointed out: "This… it is, perhaps, why she is useful to them."

Sidorov nodded, his jaw clenching as he pondered this new turn of events.


	3. IMF

Kat shivered. Again. She clutched her soaking hoodie closer, trying to keep it as tightly wrapped around her as possible and gain what warmth she could against the biting wind. It wasn't helping that the salty water had made all the cuts on her body burn, and the wind whipping against her face and knees only made the pain worse.

Brandt was huddling his suit jacket around himself in a similar manner, trying to gain some small warmth from the soaking and quickly freezing wet garment. How Ethan could walk around with his hands in his hoodie pockets, looking for all the world like a causal passerby if it weren't for his soaking clothes, was beyond her.

' _He's not human._ ' She thought bitterly as she tried to keep her teeth from chattering. ' _That's what it is. He's not human._ '

"Ethan." Kat called softly at last as her teeth began to chatter. "How much further is it?"

"Sorry," he replied as he glanced back at her apologetically, "it's a little further, but we'll get you warmed up soon."

"I'm fine." She muttered unconvincingly.

Both he and Brandt, who'd also glanced back, raised their brows and Kat quickly tried to think of something else to focus on.

"What does IMF stand for?" She asked, saying the first thing that came to her mind.

Both men glanced at her in surprise, also noting with some small amusement that she'd blinked in shock as though wondering why she'd asked.

"Impossible Mission Force." Ethan replied, answering her question and Kat almost paused in her steps.

"'Impossible… Mission Force'?" She repeated incredulously and he nodded.

"Is that like the CIA?" She asked as she resumed trailing after them, and Ethan wrinkled his nose.

"Kind of." He answered, and Kat glanced over at Brandt. His face was impassive but she could also sense some distaste coming from the blond man.

' _Huh. Guess they don't get along._ ' Kat thought before she shrugged it off. Brandt's face had settled back into a thoughtful expression while Kat hurried over to Ethan, and she asked softly: "He said it was being 'disavowed'?"

Ethan simply nodded once and Kat didn't question him further. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she could sense Ethan didn't want to say more and so she let him be. Silence fell over the trio once more, but as Ethan led them into a rail yard, Brandt broke it.

"Why would that work?" He asked with a thoughtful frown and Kat glanced at him curiously while Ethan asked, also looking back questioningly: "Why would what work?"

"The flare on the body. Why, why would that work?" Brandt asked, trying to understand the logic.

"It did work." Ethan replied shortly as he started down one side of the many trains before he paused. Kat stopped beside him, looking at him uncertainly as she rubbed her hands along her arms in an attempt to get warm.

Brandt hadn't see Ethan pause, and continued down the way Ethan had started while he began: "Yeah, I know, but-"

"Hey." Ethan called, catching Brandt's attention. The analyst glanced back and Ethan jerked his head in the opposite direction before leading them on between two trains, walking alongside the cars.

Kat trailed after him as Brandt quickly followed, continuing his question: "But why? I mean, how did you know that would draw their fire?"

"I didn't." Ethan replied shortly. "I played a hunch."

Kat almost stopped at his words, staring at the back of Ethan's head incredulously. He had risked their lives… on a hunch? She quickly hurried after them as there was a pregnant pause before Brandt began slowly: "Okay… All right, so what was your scenario?"

Ethan glanced back questioningly, and Brandt elaborated as they walked: "Right, there was a guy being shot at in the water. All of a sudden, he decides to light up a flare and swim around?"

His voice was heavy with skepticism and Kat had to admit, it was a fair question. Even she knew it was a dumb move to switch targets to something so obvious. No matter what logic she tried to apply, it didn't work because logic reasoned that there was no way a target would suddenly make himself a bigger target by lighting a flare.

When Ethan didn't reply, Brandt asked: "I mean, what did you assume they'd be thinking?"

Ethan turned to Brandt and Kat watched them closely from behind as Ethan repeated flatly: "Thinking?"

"Yeah." Brandt nodded, and Ethan snorted.

His lips pulled into a humorless smile as he explained at last: "I didn't assume they'd be thinking. I assumed they were just shooting at anything that moved, and I just gave them a target."

He saw Brandt's incredulous expression and he stopped walking. He sighed, that mirthless smile still on his face as he told Brandt, and to some extent Kat: "Look, these guys aren't Rhode scholars, you know?"

Brandt glanced at Kat, as he realized what Ethan was trying to say. Kat's mouth had also dropped open and Ethan glanced at her when he saw the direction of Brandt's gaze. She shut her mouth quickly as Ethan looked her way, trying to school her features to be at least neutral but she knew he'd seen it all anyway.

Her disbelief, her incredulity and then her horror. Her horror that anyone would be that numb to killing that they'd shoot anything that moved. Her horror that anyone would be willing to fire a gun to end a potentially innocent person's life. That car driver- what had he ever done? He'd just been hired to drive around the Secretary, and probably keep his mouth shut about the Secretary's secrets. Nothing worth being killed over.

Ethan's gaze softened but didn't waver as he waited for his two new companions to fully understand the situation they were in.

"This is really happening," Brandt murmured as he turned back to Ethan, "isn't it?"

"Yeah." Ethan answered firmly and Kat asked softly: "I'm not going home, am I?"

Ethan turned to her sharply as Brandt eyed her critically.

"You will." Ethan told her sternly, and as her head dipped he pulled her up to face him. "I promised you I'd get you home, and that's what I'm going to do."

She stared at him pensively before giving a small nod while Brandt watched curiously. Ethan let Kat go, just as there was a loud, bellowing honk and a train whistle blew. Ethan glanced up as Kat looked around in confusion. Brandt looked sharply at Ethan, as the man asked: "You know what that sound is?"

"That's our ride outta here." Brandt replied as Ethan quickly leapt up and over the side of the nearest car.

"I can't do that." Kat said numbly, but Brandt had already grabbed her and he said simply: "Well, you can learn another day."

Kat gasped as he hoisted her up onto the car but quickly moved across as Brandt jumped up beside her and they jumped down the other side at the same time as Ethan called: "Our ride's a green car, number 47."

He paused in front of a train as it began to move, pulling out of the rail yard. The three began to peer around, trying to find the car Ethan had described amongst all the train cars.

"I see green." Ethan suddenly called, and the other two turned to see him pointing through a gap in the moving train. Ethan quickly led them around, running passed the back of the train as it pulled away, its horn blowing loudly in warning as it did.

"All right." Ethan muttered as they reached the green train. "Number 47."

He began to peer at the nearest cars while Kat run up the train and Brandt ran down the train.

"I don't see it." Brandt called as he ran along the side as it began to pull away.

Ethan ran after Brandt as Kat called from the front: "It's not this way."

"Oh shit!" Brandt called as he ran passed a car and belatedly spotted the number '47' on it. Ethan ran passed as well, propelled by his speed, but quickly spun on his heels, racing after Brandt as the man ran for the car labeled '47'. Kat started running as well, knowing that if she fell behind the car they needed, she would probably not be able to catch up to it.

The men were running at full speed, slowly overtaking the train as it gained speed and headed out of the rail yard.

"Woah, pole!" Brandt called in warning to Ethan, the two avoiding the pole just as Kat almost ran right into one up ahead. She barely dodged it although she did still clip her shoulder on it.

Kat winced but ignored the pain for now as she continued to run as fast as she could alongside the train, glancing back every now and then to see the men's progress. Ethan was punching in, or trying to punch in, his code into the keypad while avoiding the poles that were in the way. The men were just keeping up with the speeding train while Kat was starting to fall behind.

She was about one car ahead of the two men as Brandt yelled at Ethan: "Retinal scanner!"

She glanced back to see Ethan trying to get up to the height of the scanner, jumping as he tried to run, trying to get his eyes level with the scanner. Kat turned back to the front and yelped.

"Pole!" Kat yelled and Brandt called in warning: "Watch out!"

They all ran out, dodging the pole, the time costing Kat and she was level with the men and the car as Ethan simply leapt up, grabbing the sides of the car and keeping himself hoisted up against the car as he placed his eyes before the scanner.

"Come on, Katelyn!" Brandt ordered, trying to keep the woman level with them.

"I know!" She snapped back, wishing in her mind that she had trained her body before this. But really, who thinks they will one day have to run alongside a train and hop into the car when they think about working out?

' _These guys, probably._ ' She thought grimly, just as Ethan's retinal scan checked in. The side of the car slid up and Brandt quickly jumped in. He reached out, grabbing Kat's arms as she leapt up to the car and he pulled her in. Ethan jumped in after, Brandt helping him inside as well, just before the secret door slid shut once more.

Kat gasped as she lay on the ground in the dark, trying to get her breath back. Every breath literally hurt and she thought her knees were going to burn out of their sockets, they were so sore. She blinked as lights flickered on, before flinching as she saw two guns pointed their way.

"Ethan?" A British voice asked, and she saw the man slowly lower his gun. He had closely-cropped ginger hair and looked about Brandt's age, and was clearly close to Ethan from the sheer joy with which he'd said the latter's name.

"Geez, I thought you were dead." The British man continued as Brandt and Ethan slowly got to their feet while Kat sat up carefully.

"We are." Brandt replied a little sarcastically, and the Brit quickly lifted his gun once more, pointing it at Brandt as he demanded: "Who's this?"

"And her?" The woman who'd kept her gun trained on Kat the entire time asked sharply as she indicated Kat.

"Easy." Ethan groaned before he introduced to Brandt and Kat: "Dunn and Carter." He pointed at the British man and then the woman on the other side, before he introduced to his team as he pointed at Brandt and Kat: "William Brandt, chief analyst; Katelyn Taylor, civilian."

"Analyst?" Carter said in confusion as she lowered her gun, while Dunn repeated incredulously: "Civilian?"

Ethan ignored them, going over to a screen and switching it into a table as he activated it with his USB drive. Dunn had lowered his gun too, and Brandt glanced down at where Kat was still sitting on the floor.

"Hey, come on. Up you get." Brandt muttered as he reached down and grabbed Kat's elbow, starting to haul her to her feet. He stopped quickly, however, when she hissed in pain and as soon as he paused she sank back to the ground.

"What's wrong?" He demanded , crouching before her as Ethan glanced back once before refocusing on his screen, pulling on headphones to listen to his mission.

"I think… I might need a moment." Kat admitted as she tried to hide-

"What's wrong with your legs?"

 _'Busted.'_ Kat sighed as she hung her head. She really should've known better than to keep it secret from a spy, but she didn't want to be a bother.

"It's fine." Kat tried, but shut up quickly at the look of disbelief on Brandt's face. Dunn and Carter had joined them, kneeling beside them as Brandt carefully pulled Kat's leg out and into the light.

"Oh, shit." He muttered as he examined the deep gashes.

"We need to clean that before it gets infected." Carter muttered as she got up quickly, heading to the corner of the car to look for the medical kit.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Brandt demanded as he gently touched her knee and watched her wince, gauging how bad it was.

"It didn't seem as bad earlier." Kat admitted as Carter returned with the medical supplies.

"And it wasn't like we could do anything about it earlier anyway." Kat pointed out, and Brandt sighed.

"It probably got deeper during the crash." He muttered as he reached for alcohol swabs, Dunn already going to work on Kat's left knee and making Kat hiss in pain. "And the water didn't help. Neither did the running."

"Sorry." Kat apologized before reaching over to try and take the swab from Dunn.

"I can do it." She offered, but Dunn shook his head.

"It's all right, love." The man replied. "I'd probably be faster anyway."

"Yeah, probably." Kat sighed, dropping her hands and trying not to wince as Brandt worked on her right knee.

Brandt glanced at her face as he finished up on her leg, and he added: "The cuts on your face don't look too bad."

Kat sighed, before she asked flatly: "Be honest, how bad do I look?"

Dunn glanced at her while Brandt paused, appraising her with a critical eye.

"Well, not that bad, actually." Brandt answered seriously, and for some reason the words made Kat feel warmer. She blinked, surprised and a little self-conscious as she suddenly became aware of how blue Brandt's eyes were. Almost like ice, but she caught a warmth in them that made her wonder what they looked like when he was cheerful or-

She quickly shook herself from her train of thoughts, saying quickly: "Well, that's good to hear."

"Yeah, the ones on your face aren't deep." Brandt agreed, apparently oblivious to her reaction to his earlier comment. "They should heal fine on their own."

She nodded while Dunn raised a brow as he glanced between them but he kept quiet. The pair had her legs cleaned and wrapped in minutes, and when Brandt carefully helped Kat to her feet, she was definitely feeling better.

"Here." Carter added as she walked over, carrying a pile of clothes. "These'll probably be big on you," she looked at Kat, "but it'll be much warmer than what you've got."

"Thank you." Kat replied gratefully as she took the one bundle of clothes while Brandt took the other with a grateful nod.

"The toilet's there." Carter told them, nodding at a door almost invisible to the naked eye on one side of the car. "If you want to change in privacy."

"Um…" Kat glanced at Brandt uneasily and he caught it.

"You go." He nodded at her and she immediately shook her head, arguing: "No, you can go first, I can wait."

"I'll just change out here." He replied pointedly and Kat blinked.

"Oh…" She glanced around at the other agents. Carter was looking impassive while Dunn had a hint of a smile on his face. "Okay, then… I guess…"

And Kat positively fled to the bathroom to change, making Dunn chuckle as she shut the door.


	4. Hendricks

"How will the world finally end?"

Kat sat in the corner of the car, hugging her knees carefully and trying to stay out of Ethan and his team's way as she watched the video playing on the screen. Agent Carter had been right in assuming they would be slightly big, but the warm and dry sweater and jeans were a gift from heaven as far as Kat was concerned. Benji Dunn was sitting across from one of the screens, his finger pressed to his lip thoughtfully while Jane Carter stood against the side of the wall, both watching a recording of a younger Hendricks giving a speech.

The translator spoke at intervals through Hendricks' Russian speech, providing the English translation as Hendrick said: "It is my job to predict the unthinkable. To treat the death of billions as a game. After twenty years of this, I was none. Until a new question crossed my mind. What happens after the end of the world."

Kat tried to ignore the video, watching Ethan, as he sat in the corner of the room, muttering on the phone, and Brandt, as he paced about the car thoughtfully. The analyst had also changed, switching into combat pants and a thick sweater, both of which fit him better than Kat's clothes fit her, and he kept playing with the zip of his closed sweater as he paced.

"Every two or three million years, some natural catastrophe devastates all life on Earth. But life goes on, and what little remains is made stronger. Put simply, world destruction is an unpleasant but necessary part of evolution."

Kat flinched as there was a loud whooshing noise from nearby and she, along with Carter and Dunn, glanced over to see Brandt had accidentally leant against a wall panel to reveal an entire wall of firearms. Brandt glanced at them all sheepishly, moving away from the wall and choosing to pace once more as the recording went on:

"When mankind faces the next end of the world. I look to Hiroshima, Nagasaki," Kat glanced over as Ethan's voice became harsher though his words were still muffled in a low murmur, "thriving cities, rebuilt from the ashes. Monuments to unimaginable, dedicated to the concept of peace."

Kat watched as Ethan hung up and he turned slightly, meeting her eyes briefly. Kat quickly looked away, looking down at her hands as the recording continued: "It's occurred to me here, that nuclear war might have a place in the natural order."

The air in the car had thickened, everyone tensing.

"But only if it could be controlled. Only if touched every living soul," Kat looked up just in time for Hendricks' last word: " _equally_."

Her hands curled as she understood the Russian word, echoed by the English translation just seconds later. The video paused as Hendricks stared at the camera, his blue eyes cold and emotionless. It honestly terrified Kat how dead his eyes could look, even throughout his powerful and almost equally terrifying speech.

The rest of the agents turned to Ethan, who had stopped the video, but Kat continued to stare with wide eyes at the image on the screen as Ethan explained to his team: "IMF now believes that this man, Kurt Hendricks," he clicked a remote to switch all the screens from the video to an image of the man himself as he left a building, "is a nuclear extremist, codename: Cobalt."

The rest of the team studied the photo as Ethan continued: "Today he was seen leaving the Kremlin, with what was most likely a nuclear launch device."

Dunn and Carter glanced at him thoughtfully, weighing the news while Brandt sank to squat against the wall in one corner of the car, sitting back on his hunches as Ethan pulled up a different photo.

A beautiful, perhaps French, woman appeared on the screens and Kat examined the new face as Ethan went on: "A few days ago, Sabine Moreau killed one of our agents in Budapest."

Kat noted, with some confusion, that the comment seemed to hit Carter hard, the agent curling her hand into a fist as a flash of sorrow crossed her face. Kat wondered as to its cause, but glanced back at Ethan as he relayed: "Relieving him off Russian nuclear launch codes. Intel indicates she will check in the Burj Hotel in Dubai," he showed them a picture of the famous landmark hotel, "in 36 hours."

Kat glanced around at them uneasily, briefly meeting Brandt's gaze before she lowered her eyes back to the ground as Ethan went on: "Mariusz Wistrom is known operative of Cobalt."

He showed them another photo of a man with a neatly trimmed beard, and he added grimly: "Wistrom is currently on route to Dubai."

Dunn's brows knit in thought as he listened to Ethan as the latter explained: "For the launch device to work, Cobalt needs the activation codes. He's sending Wistrom, to buy them from Moreau."

Ethan paused before he said quietly to his team: "The Secretary is dead."

Dunn and Carter both blinked, the news clearly taking them by surprise, while Brandt bowed his head. Dunn and Carter's expressions turned grim as Ethan continued seriously: "The President has invoked 'Ghost Protocol'. We're shut down."

Kat glanced at him. Was that what 'disavowed' meant? Ethan went on, as though he hadn't seen her reaction: "No satellites, safehouse, support or extraction. The four of us," he indicated himself, his team, and Brandt, "and the content of this car are all that remain of the IMF."

Kat glanced at him again, her brows knitting thoughtfully as Ethan continued: "And as if this moment any actions are unsanctioned. So if you want out, speak now."

He looked to each member of his team, and neither Dunn nor Carter replied. Ethan's eyes then moved to Brandt, who opened his mouth as though to speak before he paused. He seemed to be weighing something, although what they could only guess. Finally, he simply shut his mouth once more, his silence conveying his answer.

Ethan continued, satisfied that his team was committed to him: "Our mission is Hendricks."

He pointed at a picture of the man as he continued firmly: "We're all that stands between him and his goal, nothing can be left to chance. Everyone connected with this man, is considered an asset with valuable information about our target."

Carter's brows were knit in a mix of thought and pain as she stared at the picture of Moreau, but she glanced back at Ethan as he finished sternly: "No one can know we're still online. We lose Hendricks now, we lose him forever."

Kat frowned while Carter immediately asked: "So, what's the plan?"

"Wistrom will take delivery from Moreau in 36 hours." Ethan explained. "Now we can not let the launch codes leave the hotel. But we need Wistrom to lead us to Hendricks."

He pointed between the photos and Kat frowned. She was about to say something, but decided against it, keeping her mouth shut. Brandt spoke up instead as he pointed out flatly: "He'll only do that if he has the codes."

Ethan made to answer, but Carter interjected: "Or if he thinks he has them."

Kat's frown deepened as she noted the many ways this plan could go wrong, but she also listened attentively as Ethan cut in, borderline ordering as he leveled a pointed look at Carter: "Our objective is to intercept the sale. Replace the authentic codes with counterfeits. And follow Wistrom to Hendricks."

"Well, that's, that's simple enough." Dunn commented as he stood up. Kat watched him in surprise as he began planning aloud: "We just, we snatch the codes, we generate some fakes. Jane," he pointed to Carter, "you double Moreau and sell the codes to Wistrom. And Bob's your uncle!"

He turned to Ethan with a satisfied smile. Kat gave him a flat look, clearly unimpressed, and Brandt had a similar expression on his face as he pointed out: "And, uh, how do you propose that we just 'snatch' the code from Moreau?"

"You take her out." Carter said flatly. Kat tensed, glancing at the woman as she heard a dark undertone to her voice, and she saw Ethan also glance at Carter.

Dunn paused before he agreed quickly, amending Carter's words slightly: "Yeah, we take her out, but you know, discreetly."

Both Kat and Brandt had looks of clear disbelief on their faces, and Brandt deadpanned: "'Discreetly'."

"Yeah." Dunn replied, before he glanced at Ethan. Seeing the other man's face, he corrected quickly as he held up his hands in surrender: "Right, she's an asset. Right.

I get it. Sorry."

Carter turned to glare at Dunn in disbelief, cornering him as he looked between her and Ethan, and he pointed out: "Nothing left to chance, he said." He gestured at Ethan. "I'm just, I'm spit bowling. You know, it's not all going to be gold."

Brandt had turned his head away with a roll of his eyes while Carter pursed her lips, and Kat saw a silent warning pass from Ethan to Carter, a warning Carter was clearly not happy to see. She wondered what was the cause for Carter's tension, before she tensed as well as Carter snapped at Ethan: "What?"

The agent was clearly on edge about something as she said angrily: "It's bad enough we have the extra liability." She gestured at Kat, making the younger woman flinch slightly. "She could compromise the whole mission; we can't afford to play nice and lose them."

"I don't want to be a liability." Kat murmured quietly, drawing their attention. "I won't get in the way, I promise. Or, let me know what I can do to help..."

"Your presence alone is a danger to the mission." Carter pointed out bluntly. "The last thing we need is for you to get in our way."

Kat blinked, clearly taken aback by the harsh words before she dipped her head, tucking her chin on her knees as she avoided looking at the agitated female agent. Brandt had turned back, frowning slightly as he examined Carter, his expression thoughtful, while Dunn winced.

"Jane." Ethan's voice wasn't sharp, but his tone was dangerous as he said to Carter sternly: "Leave her alone."

Carter's jaw tightened but Ethan's gaze held another warning, one that she knew was deserved. She jerked her head once, and Ethan continued, looking at Dunn: "We don't touch Wistrom-"

"All right." Dunn answered, clearly not wanting to get into an argument, and Ethan's eyes moved back to Carter as he added severely: "- Or Moreau."

Kat glanced up quickly, catching the murderous look that passed Carter's face before she looked back down quickly. Carter's words had stung enough that she didn't want to get further on the woman's bad side, but Ethan held no such reservations as he walked up to Carter, saying quietly but firmly: "She'll answer for Hanaway, but it has to be when I say."

Kat glanced up again as Ethan stopped before Carter, saying sternly: "After we had Hendricks."

Kat caught the look on Carter's face before she nodded once to show she understood. It was a look of utter anger and despair, and Kat instantly knew what was wrong with the agent.

' _She loved him._ ' Kat realized. ' _The agent called Hanaway, the one Moreau killed._ '

There was a brief silence, the tension inside the car so thick Kat was certain she could cut it with a blunt knife. Ethan finally dismissed his team as he ordered: "Get ready."

The three immediately sprang to action, moving around the car as they grabbed gadgets, guns, and bags while Ethan called: "Only pack what we need."

"Yeah absolutely." Dunn agreed as he grabbed the largest bag he could find. "Only pack what we need-" Ethan removed the bag, replacing it with a smaller one, "-You never know." Dunn whined.

Kat did her best to stay out of everyone's way, curling into a small ball in the corner by the toilets. She kept the path into the toilet clear, letting Carter in so that the agent could grab essentials from inside, while she watched uncertainly as everyone else moved about busily.

Dunn came over, intending to grab the gear for their masks but paused when he saw the young woman sitting like a lost puppy in front of the hidden cabinets. He walked over, surprising her as he patted her back, saying apologetically: "Sorry about that, love. Jane's just… really stressed right now."

"It's okay." Kat sighed. "She only said the truth anyway."

"Um…" Dunn began, not knowing how to reply. There had been no self-pity in her voice as she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. If she'd been downhearted about it he might've offered some comforting words, however meaningless, but he wasn't sure how to deal with this civilian's realistic approach.

Kat glanced up at him, seeing the way he shifted uncertainly and she frowned slightly in confusion. Realization hit her and she glanced back at what she'd assumed was a blank wall but probably wasn't.

"I'm in your way, aren't I?" She asked and Dunn sighed before he nodded sheepishly.

Kat moved, shifting to sit in the other corner of the car and letting Dunn get passed her to the masks. He wanted to say something, anything, but he wasn't sure how to go about doing that. And for once in his life, Benji Dunn chose to remain silent instead of sticking his foot in his mouth.

Brandt had observed the brief interaction, noting all the small signs coming from their bodies and particularly the resigned air around the civilian. He glanced up as Carter returned to the main compartment, watching as the woman also paused to look in the younger woman's direction. He saw Carter bite her lip, a flash of guilt passing through her eyes, before she turned away and continued packing.

Brandt sent one last look in Kat's direction before he also turned away, refocusing on his packing and just missing as Kat glanced in his direction. She wasn't sure what to do with herself, and found herself continually looking between Ethan and Brandt, unsure of what to do but wanting to at least help the people she felt a little more comfortable with.

Kat was just debating whether she could work up the courage to go ask Brandt if he needed help when a bag appeared in front of her face and she jumped a foot into the air. Spinning around, she saw it was only Ethan and he smiled at her kindly as he saw the startled look on her face.

"Sorry for scaring you." He apologized. "Here's a pack for you."

Kat took the offered carrier bag gingerly as Ethan listed: "It's got some water bottles, basic toiletries, a spare set of clothes, and communication units. I don't think you'll need anything else."

He smiled slightly at the end and Kat nodded, noting the wry tone in his voice at the end.

"Thank you." She said quietly and he nodded.

"It's no problem, and it's my fault you got dragged into this." He spoke a little louder than she'd expected him to, and she looked at him curiously.

"Not really…" Kat began slowly, but Ethan acted like he didn't understand what the problem was as he continued in a voice that could carry across the car: "It was my fault that my tech was found on you, and your life was jeopardized. I owe it to you to get you home, just as I promised you I would. It just looks like we'll be making a quick stop before that. Think you're up for it?"

Kat frowned, nodding slowly in answer to his question as she tried to work out why he was being so obnoxious about it. First of all, while it was technically his fault she was mistaken for a terrorist, he was also the one who helped her out of the hospital. And second of all, no-one would've even mistaken her for a terrorist in the first place if it hadn't been for Ethan, because she would've been dead from that explosion at the Kremlin. He'd saved her- everything after that was just something neither could've controlled.

So it made her feel uncomfortable every time he blamed himself for her current dilemma, but this seemed just plain weird. Like he was laying out the problem in a way so as to leave no room for arguments… even though she'd _been_ there.

Ethan smiled, satisfied with her nod, and was about to get up when Kat asked, deciding that being blunt didn't matter: "Why are you talking to me like I'm two?"

He blinked, while Dunn snorted, almost choking on his own spit and Brandt suppressed a laugh. Kat's frowned deepened as she glanced over at the others before she noted the somewhat sheepish look on Carter's face. She blinked, suddenly realizing why Ethan had been speaking so strangely, but Ethan cut in before she could say anything: "No, it was nothing. Sorry if it seemed like I was treating you like a kid."

"No, no, you weren't." Kat said hastily as she tried to mend the mistake she'd made. "And thanks for looking out for me. Really. I should be the one apologizing."

"There's nothing you need to apologize for." Ethan replied firmly, patting her shoulder as he stood up and walked back to finish his own packing.

Kat glanced at Carter uneasily, catching the older woman's eye. Carter smiled a little tentatively, clearly trying to apologize for her outburst earlier and Kat was eager to show she didn't hold it against the other woman. She nodded back at Carter as Ethan zipped up his bag and ordered: "Let's go."


	5. Dubai

Kat tossed from one side to the other, trying to get comfortable in her seat and hopefully get some sleep before they arrived in Dubai, but it was proving impossible. Every time she shut her eyes she saw the bullet going through the Secretary's forehead, his brain getting splattered on the window and seat behind him. She shifted again, before jumping about a foot into the air when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's just me." Brandt soothed when she turned to him, startled.

"You okay?" He asked as he eyed her and she nodded.

"I'm fine." Kat said a little shakily and Brandt's brow lifted skeptically.

"Okay, no, I'm not fine." Kat admitted and Brandt nodded.

"It's normal." He reassured her quietly as he shifted just slightly in his seat to be more comfortable, turning his back to Jane as she slept on his other side. "You haven't been trained to deal with this kind of thing."

Kat stared at him, her gaze turning mournful as she asked him softly: "Does it ever get easier?"

"You learn to live with it." He replied and Kat stared at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Are you okay?" She asked at last, her green eyes peering at him carefully. "I mean, he was your boss."

"I've been trained to deal with it." He replied with a light shrug, but Kat's next words caught him by surprise as she pointed out shrewdly: "That didn't answer my question."

Brandt paused, shifting slightly. He was suddenly aware just how close Kat was, physically, as she peered up at him from where she had her head on the side of her seat, right by his shoulder. It made him slightly uncomfortable to have her watching him so thoughtfully, her bright green eyes seeming to pore into his soul, and he was once again hit by how strangely collected this civilian was. She panicked whenever something unexpected happened, just as he would expect from someone not used to their field, but she had displayed an uncanny ability to calm herself quickly and to either follow orders without question – highly unusual from panicking civilians - or look for a logical solution to her problem.

"I don't think about it." Brandt told her at last. "You can feel guilty about it, but only after the mission is completed. Otherwise, you run the risk of letting personal emotions cloud your judgment."

Kat nodded in understanding, slowly lowering her eyes as she played with her hands. Brandt was just about to settle back in his seat when Kat said suddenly, her voice soft: "Sorry, by the way."

He glanced at her, surprised and confused.

"What?" He asked, and she repeated: "Sorry. I know I'm making you guys' mission harder than it needs to be. I want to help, but..."

She trailed off, clearly remembering Jane's words.

"Yeah..." Brandt began slowly as he stared at Kat, his gaze just as curious as hers had been earlier. He was reminded by how careful she was around them, keeping quiet and trying not to be a bigger bother than her untrained presence was. He'd caught her every time she'd been about to say something before she quickly silenced herself, clearly not wanting to draw attention to herself while they were busy planning.

It hadn't helped when Carter had snapped at her, and while the agent's words had been true, they were also uncalled for. He was just as unhappy as Carter about the fact that they had a civilian to look after, but he also knew it was unfair to take that out on the woman herself. Kat hadn't asked to be here any more than they'd asked for the situation and, like she'd said, she had just wanted to help in whatever way she could.

"Don't worry about it." Brandt said abruptly, making Kat look up at him in confusion.

"What Carter said." Brandt explained. "You're not in anyone's way. Just pay attention to what we tell you to do, and it'll be fine."

She stared at him, and Brandt was suddenly aware of how still Jane was behind him, a little too quiet. But he refocused on Kat as she said slowly: "You've never had to deal with an accidental civilian tag-along on your missions, have you?"

"Well, no." Brandt admitted.

"And I'm an analyst, remember?" He pointed out and she smiled faintly.

"Yeah." She answered and Brandt shifted uncomfortably again.

But Kat surprised him when she reached over and squeezed his hand softly, saying gratefully: "Thanks, Mr. Brandt."

He blinked while she withdrew her hand and started to settle down, finally feeling a little better and hopefully enough to actually sleep. She glanced up as Brandt cleared his throat before saying abruptly: "Will."

"What?" She asked, frowning a little in confusion and Brandt explained a little uncomfortably: "Call me Will. Since it looks like we're stuck together for now."

She snorted once, but she was still smiling as she felt her eyes close and she murmured: "Thanks… Will."

* * *

Needless to say, Dunn had been very amused and interested when they got off the plane, and he found Kat calling Brandt by his first name. He'd wiggled his brows at Brandt, making both Brandt and Kat frown in confusion, before he insisted Kat call him by his name as well. Carter had joined in, agreeing that it was fine in a much kinder way than the last time she'd spoken in Kat's direction, much to Kat's relief.

So when Kat got into the jeep they had borrowed for their stay in Dubai, she found she was sitting beside Will and across from Benji as he typed on his laptop, while Jane sat beside Ethan as he drove them through the desert and towards the city. It felt a little nicer though, as though she was starting to get to know her new travelling companions better, and it definitely helped her to keep calm as they drove closer to where they knew two world-class criminals would be meeting.

Apparently, Brandt was thinking along the same lines as he asked to the group at large: "So even if we can double Wistrom and Moreau, how do we keep them in separate rooms while having them think they are in the same room?"

"We give the hotel a facelift." Ethan replied, making Kat stare at him as though he'd suggested they jump off the Burj Khalifa. _Was he serious?_

Ethan continued, oblivious to her shock: "Wistrom will think he's arriving at Moreau's suite. But really, he will be walking into our decoy room-"

"Where I'll double Moreau." Jane added, and Ethan went on: "Downstairs Benji will double Wistrom-"

"Masks!" Benji said excitedly, giving Kat a cheery wink, and Kat seriously began to question their sanity.

"-And meet with real Moreau." Ethan finished, while Benji beamed at them before he turned back to his laptop.

Kat stared at them wordlessly while Brandt frowned and he asked uncertainly: "And uh, huh, what am I doing?"

"You?" Benji asked in surprise as he looked at Brandt before he smiled widely. "You're the helper."

Kat raised a brow at the clearly condescending comment while Brandt deadpanned: "Help ... that's great."

Benji grinned, sending Kat another wink and making her snort this time, before he turned back to his laptop. Brandt started again, his voice heavy with skepticism: "Okay, so, to the extent I understand what are you talking about here, uhm…"

Kat saw that Ethan was trying to hold back an amusement smirk as he simply listened to Brant list: "Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. And you want to alter its infrastructure, with the hopes of convincing two people that they had a meeting, which actually really never happened. Right?"

Ethan grinned, unable to hold back his amusement at the clear disbelief in Brandt's voice, and he turned his head to look back at the other man while giving Kat a wide smile.

"Uh!" Jane warned suddenly, and Kat glanced out the front windshield at the same time that Ethan turned back to look at the road. Her eyes widened and that was all the reaction time she got, before Ethan swerved sharply. Jane braced herself in the front seat while Benji hit himself in the face with his laptop and Brandt grunted in surprise as Kat went flying right into his lap.

"Sorry." She gasped, completely mortified as Brandt glanced down at her in surprise, before Ethan jerked the car back onto the right side of the road, once again throwing them. Brandt hit his head on Benji's as Kat whacked her head on Benji's laptop.

"Oi!" Benji complained as he, Brandt, and Kat all rubbed their heads in pain, and Ethan replied a little apologetically and with a small shrug: "Camels."

* * *

Ethan drove them to the safe house they would be staying at, and Kat looked around with interest. It was a small place, with one bedroom up a set of creaky wooden stairs, and a tiny bathroom and kitchen/sitting area downstairs. Definitely not five star, but she could live with it as long as there weren't any cockroaches. She was terrified of cockroaches. And snakes.

"We need to keep those clothes hanging so they don't crease too much. We don't want to arouse suspicion." Ethan ordered as they all trudged inside, carrying their bags.

He pointed to their suits as he began: "Benji-"

"I'll do it." Kat volunteered, picking up all the hangers and carrying them up the stairs and to the bedroom where she was sure there would be a closet of some kind. "And maybe I can iron them while we wait."

"You don't have to-" Brandt began, but she waved him off as she reached the top of the stairs, saying with a shrug: "It's not like I have anything else to do."

She shut the door behind her out of habit, heading for the small alcove-like closet as she looked for an iron, and Brandt closed his mouth and sat back down. He caught Benji wiggling his brows at him from where the techie was setting up his computers, and Brandt frowned.

"What?" Brandt demanded, and Benji replied lightly: "Nothing… just that our civilian seems to have taken a shine to you."

"Right." Brandt snorted, and Benji teased: "She _has_ been glued to your side since we landed; I'm sure Ethan's starting to feel a little lonely."

Ethan chuckled at that, shaking his head at his friend while Brandt rolled his eyes.

"Wonder why she's suddenly so attached to our helper." Benji continued as he checked his computers, and Brandt started to open his mouth to retort when Jane added slyly: "Must be because of the 'moment' they shared on the plane."

"I knew you weren't asleep." Brandt groaned while Ethan raised a brow and Benji guffawed.

"I was." Jane retorted. "Until you two woke me with your _sweet_ exchange."

Brandt glared at her, clearly not amused, but it only made Benji and Jane smile wider in amusement.

"I can't find the iron." Kat called as she walked back out of the bedroom and down the stairs, having hung up all the suits in the 'closet'. "Do you know where..."

She trailed off as she was met with wide Cheshire cat smiles from Jane and Benji while Brandt sighed and Ethan just chuckled again.

"... Was it something I said?" Kat asked, confused, and Brandt sighed.

"No." He told her, and Kat frowned, her confusion only growing when Benji started laughing out loud.

"Okay, we need to focus now." Ethan chided gently, and Benji turned to him, still smiling but calming down as Ethan ordered: "They'll be here in less than three hours. We need to be checked in within the next two hours, so let's hurry it up."

They all nodded, everyone getting up and getting ready to move as planned. The men all crowded towards the bathroom to shave and get clean as Kat found an iron and began smoothing every crease out of the suits while Jane started to clean up, setting her hair carefully before pulling out an incredible makeup kit as she started to get ready for her role as Moreau.

"Now I know why spies always have perfect makeup." Kat observed as she stared at the impressive collection, and Jane chuckled.

"That's only in movies." She told Kat as she started on her makeup while she let her hair products set. "You haven't seen us after a fight."

"I saw Ethan." Kat pointed out, and Jane countered: "And look what happened to you."

She gestured at Kat's many cuts and bruises and the girl grimaced.

"Point taken." Kat conceded as she finished ironing two of the shirts.

"You got through that really quickly." Jane observed in surprise, noting the already freshly ironed jackets, pants, and her dress, and Kat shrugged.

"I used to help my mom out with my dad's stuff." She explained. "And it was always when it needed to be rushed so I got good at getting it done quickly."

Jane nodded in understanding before she turned back to her makeup. Kat had just started on the last shirt when Brandt walked in- half-naked.

"Have you got my suit?" He asked as Jane glanced over while Kat went bright red.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Kat demanded, trying not to let her embarrassment show and failing miserably as she felt even her ears go red. Brandt looked at her blankly while Jane raised a brow before she grinned.

"It's there." Jane called as she pointed at the suits hanging behind Kat.

"Oh, thanks." Brandt replied nonchalantly as he walked over to get it.

Only to stop as Kat lifted the hot iron warningly, as she cried: "Hang on!"

"What?" Brandt demanded, eyeing the iron warily as he automatically held his hands up in surrender.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Kat repeated, and he glanced down at his naked chest as though confused as to what the problem was.

"I just washed, why would I get back into the shirt I just changed out of?" He asked, confused, and before Kat could reply Benji walked in shirtless as well.

"Hey, you actually managed to iron them." Benji cheered while Kat kept her eyes fixed on the ironing board.

Jane was beyond amused, and she was struggling to contain her laughter at the poor woman's distress as Kat asked in a forced controlled voice: "Why can't you guys wear your shirts?"

"What?" Benji asked before he glanced down. Brandt finally realized what the problem was and he sighed.

"Just give us our suits and we can get dressed." He told Kat, who was looking completely mortified. Benji caught Brandt's tone and he examined Kat more closely.

"Hey, you haven't…" He began when Kat threw his shirt in his face, somewhat ruining her efforts as it wrinkled just slightly.

"Here, take it, go." She muttered, grabbing the rest of his suit and handing it over quickly. Benji raised his brows and was about to make some comment or other when Jane walked over, finally deciding to help the younger woman out of her misery.

"Come on. Out." She ordered as she grabbed Benji. "I need to finish getting ready too."

She hauled Benji out as Brandt looked at Kat expectantly.

"Where's my shirt?" He asked, and Kat meekly held up the one she hadn't ironed yet. Brandt sighed.

"Can you finish it quickly?" He asked and she nodded, refusing to meet his eyes or look anywhere near him. She wasn't quite sure why she'd reacted the way she had, but the second Brandt had walked in it was like all reason had left her mind.

"You can't honestly tell me you've never seen a guy shirtless." Brandt said flatly and she growled as she quickly ironed his shirt: "Of course I've seen guys shirtless."

"So what's the problem?" He asked, half exasperated and half genuinely curious. Kat didn't answer, although if she was being honest she couldn't answer. She wasn't sure what had come over her; she'd been fine around Ethan. Heck, she'd even clung onto the man while he'd been half-naked when they'd zip-lined away from the Russian police, or 'Mr. Unreasonable' as Kat dubbed him. So why had she reacted differently now?

"Here." Kat muttered as she handed him his shirt, along with the rest of his suit, while trying not to look at his bare chest or clearly defined abs. Yeah, definitely not looking. "It's finished."

Brandt frowned but didn't question it, simply taking the clothes and walking out, rushing to get ready. Kat finally lifted her eyes, only to see Jane watching her with amusement clearly shining in her eyes.

"What?" Kat muttered, feeling incredibly self-conscious and Jane just laughed at her.

"Are the suits ready?" Ethan asked as he walked in, also missing his shirt, and Kat turned to him, nodding as she tried to calm down.

"Here." She replied, handing him his stuff and missing Jane's raised eyebrow before a thoughtful look crossed the older woman's face as she watched Kat watch Ethan leave. She noted the much calmer girl with surprise, and she replayed what had happened before, a small frown appearing on her face as she pieced it together and realized what the difference factor had been.

"Jane?"

Jane broke out of her thoughts to glance up at Kat's questioning tone, noting the woman's hesitance as she held up Jane's blue dress suit. Jane smiled, nodding her thanks as she took the suit while making a mental note to herself for later, after they'd gotten the codes. And hopefully at least given Moreau a good kick or two.

*A/N So, I just really wanted to add in that part on the ironing even if Kat's job is completely unrelated and quite frankly useless. So, sue me.


	6. Mission Impossible

When they arrived at the Burj Khalifa, Kat couldn't keep herself from staring around in wonder. The building certainly lived up to its name as the tallest building in the world- it was massive, towering high up into the sky – but more than that, it was beautiful. The glass windows glinted in the hot Arabian sun, making the building look like it was sparkling and Kat squinted as she tried to get a good look while keeping her sunglasses on her head.

Jane had slipped out to buy an entirely new outfit for Kat so that she wouldn't draw unwanted attention with either her ill-fitting jeans or her injured knees. This meant Kat was now wearing a long, patterned sundress, plus a pair of sunglasses to help beat the heat. She'd pushed them onto her head to try and get a better look at the Burj without the dark lenses blocking most of her view, but it also meant that she was trying not to be blinded by the sun reflecting off the building's shiny surface.

"Come on, Katelyn." Ethan called as the group walked into the hotel, and Kat looked over in surprise.

"Kat." She corrected as she hurried after him, picking up the hem of her dress to keep from tripping on it, and Ethan glanced at her.

"What?" He asked and she told him: "It's Kat."

"Like Kit-Kat?" Benji asked, and she sighed: "Like I haven't heard that one before."

"Oh, so it is!" Benji crowed, a wide smile appearing on his face and Kat made a face at him.

"Benji." Ethan called his friend's attention. "You need to check us in."

"Oh, right. Be right back, Kit-Kat." Benji waved, hurrying off before Kat could kick him.

"Why does it not surprise me that _he's_ the one to use that name?" Kat sighed, and Ethan grinned at her.

"You don't like it?" Brandt asked curiously and she pointed out: "Who wants to be called a chocolate?"

"Maybe it means you're sweet." Jane teased and Kat pulled a face.

"Or that I'm crispy." Kat pointed out, making them all laugh. But what threw Kat was Brandt's smile as he grinned at her. It was the first genuine smile since this whole thing started, and it made him look years younger as his features took on a boyish quality the was charming to behold, and made her heart pick up just slightly.

"Okay, all done!" Benji called as he walked over with their suite room keys and Kat blinked. She shook her head, quickly focusing back on the situation at hand and not her disturbing reaction to Brandt's smile. That was a can of worms she _definitely_ didn't want to open. Instead, she focused on wondering how Benji had managed to get them seats on a plane and a room at the Burj on such short notice. It was completely beyond her, but apparently no-one else thought twice about it.

The men and Kat headed over towards the elevator as Jane disappeared, heading off to the drycleaners. Ethan led the way into the suite, Kat closing the door behind them as Brandt and Ethan quickly removed their suit jackets while Benji hurriedly unpacked his computers. Brandt moved to start setting up the mask machine as Kat gingerly settled herself on the couch and out of their way.

"ETA on dry cleaning." Ethan called into his ear comm, and Kat jumped a little as she heard Jane reply in her ear: "I'm on my way out."

' _That's going to take some getting used to._ ' Kat thought as she adjusted slowly to the ear comm. Brandt meanwhile had pulled out his phone, checking his watch as he set a timer and he informed them: "Okay, 34 minutes to door-knock."

He set his phone against Benji's computer as the techie started typing away, placing it so they could all see the timer on the screen as it started to count down. Brandt settled on the couch beside Kat, pulling out the rest of their equipment as Ethan finished with the mask set-up at the desk across the room, when Benji suddenly said: "Wow,.. ehm."

Kat glanced over, worried by the nervous stutter in the man's voice as Benji called: "Okay. This, this is a slight wrinkle... nothing, nothing to worry about." Kat raised a brow skeptically- that sounded reassuring. "We're just gonna have to go into server room, from the _outside_."

Her jaw dropped while Ethan looked up from the mask machines, his face filled with the same disbelief she was feeling.

"What?" Ethan demanded, and Benji explained, sounding put out: "Well, the firewalls in this building serve a military grade." Kat frowned. "I mean, this would be a synch if I could call Yusuf back at headquarters, but Yusuf doen't exist anymore, and neither do we."

Brandt had got up, moving to look over at Benji's computer as Benji continued anxiously: "I could hack it, but it would take too long."

"Then hardwire in." Ethan ordered, also coming over, and Benji replied: "And there's four layers of next-gen security between us and the server room."

"There's no way we can get into it from inside." He broke it to them and Kat frowned.

She slowly made her way over, peering around Brandt as the analyst pointed out, his hands deep in his pants pockets: "And if we can't get to the server, we don't control the elevators, we don't control security cameras. This operation is over even before it begins."

He glanced at Ethan as he turned, making his way back to his half-unpacked case, as Benji argued: "I'm telling you we can get to it from _outside_."

"We?" Ethan repeated, and Benji glanced at him as Kat peered at his computer.

Benji caught Ethan's gaze and he quickly excused: "I'm, I'm on the computer."

He pointed at his laptop lamely, and Ethan glanced at Brandt.

"I'm just uh..." Brandt said quickly as he realized what was happening, "the helper."

He gestured at Benji, smiling briefly in relief as he thought of the excuse. Ethan's expression was thoughtful, his eyes flitting about as he weighed all of his options and he moved to the window as he asked: "What floor is it on?"

"130." Benji and Kat replied at the same time.

When all three men stared at her, Kat went a little red, muttering: "Sorry."

"How'd you know that?" Benji asked in surprise, and Kat pointed at the computer screen.

"I can read." She deadpanned, while Ethan returned to their problem as he asked Benji: "Vent ducts?"

"Pressure sensitive." Benji replied grimly as he dug in his bag for something while Brandt muttered: "Not enough time."

Ethan lapsed back into thought before suggesting: "Elevator shaft."

"Infrared sensors." Benji replied, shaking his head as he shut the idea down Brandt repeated: "Not enough time."

Kat gave Brandt a pointed look that told him he wasn't helping, while Ethan turned back to the windows, staring out blankly as he murmured to himself: "How am I supposed to do this?"

Benji threw something at Ethan, and they all blinked as a glove attached itself to the window by Ethan's head. Ethan stared at it while Kat's mouth dropped open and Brandt raised a brow, all of them suddenly understanding exactly what Benji had been suggesting.

"I did say we can get in from _outside_." He pointed out, and Kat suddenly felt very, very ill as she recalled the 119 floors they'd come up in the elevator.

* * *

"Damn it!" Benji muttered as his laser cutter hit a metal pane and sparked slightly. Kat watched from a safe distance away, having retuned to stand by the couch, as Benji finished up cutting the edges of the window pane and Brandt clamped a suction onto the glass after rolling up his shirt sleeves. Kat would've sighed at the creases that he was making in his shirt, but she was too nervous as the two men heaved the glass out, pulling it free of its metal pane and moving it out of the way.

"Oh, that's high." Benji groaned as he glanced down out the now gaping hole, grimacing slightly as he helped Brandt carry the glass away. Kat tried not to look out the empty space or hear the wind whistling faintly outside as she focused on helping Ethan, who had changed into a black shirt, cargo pants and firm-soled boots. She finished securing his belt for him while he adjusted a pair of goggles over his eyes and Benji came over to help Ethan switch on the gloves.

"Okay," Benji instructed as Brandt took over his laptop, "now remember, it's a rolling off motion, that disengages the bond."

He mimed the action with his hands to demonstrate, and Ethan nodded. Benji continued, explaining: "When the emitter is blue," he pointed to the lights on the back of the gloves, "that's full adhesion. Easy way to remember: 'blue is glue'."

"And when it's red?" Ethan asked, and Benji deadpanned: "Dead."

Ethan turned to give him an incredulous look while Kat took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She moved to join Brandt as Benji ignored Ethan's look uncomfortably, quickly adding: "Uh, here's your cutter, okay? And your server interface. Both going back here."

He tucked both items into the pouch tied to Ethan's waist, muttering: "One, two."

"Okay Ethan," Brandt called as Ethan finished gearing up, "the hotel's server is 11 stories up and 7 units over."

He pointed it out, his brows furrowed as he glanced at Ethan, checking: "Okay?"

Ethan nodded, and Brandt picked up the walkie-talkie, calling: "Comm check."

"Yeah." Ethan muttered as he touched his ear comm. "Copy."

He took a deep breath, Kat watching worriedly as Ethan stared down at his gloved hands almost as though he himself couldn't believe what he was about to attempt to do.

"So…" Benji began, starting off in an attempt to be supportive but trailing off as his face filled with concern.

Ethan looked like he was trying to work up the nerve to actually do his impossible mission, when Brandt piped up anxiously: "And it's 26 minutes to door knock."

Kat smacked his arm, making him glance at her while Ethan nodded numbly before heading for the window.

"Be careful." Kat called, her brows knitting worriedly while Benji bit his lip as Ethan stood at the edge of the hole. Kat almost turned away as Ethan took a nervous step out of the window, slowly turning his body and placing one gloved hand on the window beside him. He tested it, making sure it could support him as he slowly inched his way out to stand pressed against the window, both hands now on the window and the gloves basically the only thing keeping him from falling down.

Kat chewed her lip, wincing as Benji gasped, flinching slightly as Ethan removed a hand and slapped it higher up the glass. Kat was gnawing on her lip so much she drew blood as she watched Ethan start to climb up the side of the Burj, using the gloves to hold him while he placed his feet on the metal edges around the window to help him climb up.

Brandt pulled Kat's lip free, giving her a pointed look as she glanced at him in surprise, before moving with the laptop to the couch facing the open window while Benji moved to check the progress of their masks.

"Twenty-five minutes to door knock." Brandt called and Kat moved to sit beside him to watch the computer. At least it somewhat calmed her down to see the schematics and various bits of code running across the screen.

Brandt glanced at her, when something outside caught his eye. He turned to stare before he asked quietly, his brows furrowing: "What the hell is that?"

Kat glanced up worriedly as she wondered what was wrong. She caught sight of movement outside the window and looked out to see what Brandt had meant.

"Yeah, what the hell is that?" Ethan asked, probably having looked back at Brandt's words. Kat and Brandt both stood, moving to stand by the open window, their eyes on the sand swirling up into an enormous cloud in the distance, outside the city but heading closer.

"It's a sandstorm." Benji murmured as he joined the other two, before he called reassuringly to Ethan through the mic hidden in his tie: "It's a long way off, Ethan. It shouldn't be a problem."

' _We hope._ ' Kat thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched the sand swirl up in ominous clouds in the distance.

"Twenty-four minutes to doorknock." Brandt added as he glanced down at his phone timer, and Kat closed her eyes. She glanced back as the door to their suite opened and Jane walked in, carrying the yellow hotel attendant uniform that she'd stolen from the hotel drycleaners. Jane frowned, glancing around.

"Where's Ethan?" She asked in confusion, and Kat simply turned to look back out the open window area while Brandt and Benji pointed at where Kat was looking.

Jane's eyes widened and she said in disbelief: "You've got to be kidding me."

"I think Ethan wishes." Kat admitted, and Jane exhaled sharply. The older woman set the uniform on the back of a nearby armchair before she joined Kat by the window as Benji returned to his computers and Brandt glanced back down at his phone.

"Twenty-three minutes to doorknock." He informed them, and Kat told him: "I don't think Ethan's going to appreciate the reminder."

He glanced at her, when Ethan's voice called over the comms: "I'm at server level."

They all tensed, waiting anxiously for Ethan's signal. Kat flinched as there was a sharp gasp over the comms before a series of pained grunts. Benji tensed while Brandt leaned against the back of the armchair Kat had curled up on. Kat's hands were biting into the side of the chair, her heart pounding, while Jane's hands curled into anxious fists as she paced beside the younger woman.

"Twenty-two minutes to doorknock." Brandt said, probably in an attempt to keep himself calm.

Kat hit his arm again, her brows knitted in anxiety and Brandt glanced at her while Ethan groaned over the comms: "The countdown is not helping."

Jane glared at Brandt while Kat gave him a 'I-told-you-so' look, and he straightened, placing his hands on his hips defensively as he muttered: "I'm just saying."

Jane's lips were pursed as she returned to pacing the room while Kat tried to unclench her hands from the sofa. Only to jump and latch onto Brandt's arm as there was a loud crash over the comms, the clear sound of glass shattering to pieces. Benji absolutely started while Brandt took a deep, calming breath and Jane's fists were curled so tightly it looked like her veins were going to pop.

There was a heavy beat of silence before Ethan called in: "I'm in."

Jane's head whipped around to Benji while Kat finally let go of Brandt's arm and Benji called back to Ethan encouragingly: "That's great, Ethan. You're halfway home."

Benji leant his head on his fists as he placed his elbows on his jittery legs, waiting anxiously. Kat, Jane, and Brandt all remained where they were, holding their breaths anxiously before letting it go as Ethan called: "Located server."

Kat moved to peer over Benji's shoulder, watching as the red bars all switched to green.

"Please tell me we're online." Ethan almost begged, and Benji confirmed as the computer beeped: "All right, we're live."

He began to type as he confirmed: "Okay, I now have control of the elevators and the security cameras."

"Time to redecorate." Jane ordered as she tossed one of their stamp gadgets at Benji.

He caught it as Jane pulled out the other one, and Benji ordered Brandt: "Okay. You drive, and look out for Wistrom and Moreau."

Brandt nodded, moving to watch the cameras beside Kat as Jane and Benji ran out of the room, moving swiftly down the corridors and replacing at the numbers on the room doors from 119 to 118. Kat joined Brandt, watching with him as they stared for any signs of their targets in the elevators.

Kat's eyes widened as she saw blonde hair step into one of the elevators and she touched Brandt's arm just as he saw it too.

"Moreau is at the elevator ahead of schedule." He called to the team sharply.

There was a second's pause before Benji ordered: "Go."

Ethan called at the same time: "We can't open this door, can we?"

"The door? No." Brandt confirmed as Kat knit her fingers anxiously. She almost opened her mouth but shut it again. There wasn't enough time anyway. Although, she wondered why Ethan wanted to try the door- couldn't he climb back the way he'd gone up?

"Ethan, you gotta get down here now." Brandt called, both he and Kat getting anxious.

When there was no reply, Brandt called, his voice steadily getting more and more concerned: "Ethan! Ethan! Is there a problem?"

"Ethan?" Kat tried, before she glanced at the elevator Moreau was riding in.

She was steadily climbing closer, and Kat asked Brandt anxiously: "Can't we slow her down?"

"We can't afford for her to get suspicious now too." Brandt replied tightly and Kat bit her lip.

"She's getting too close." Kat pointed out and Brant replied tersely: "I know."

The door to their suite opened before Brandt could answer and Jane dashed back inside as Brandt glanced over.

"We're not gonna make it." Brandt told her, but Jane replied sharply: "We have to make it."

She started to remove her suit jacket when she paused.

"Where is Ethan?" She asked, and Kat and Brandt sighed, shaking their heads. Brandt strode over to the windows anxiously, before he paused, his jaw dropping slightly as he stared up. The two women frowned at his reaction, both going over to join him as they peered out the window, Kat being careful to stay far away from the open edge.

She peered around Brandt to see Ethan hanging by a rope of some kind, approximately two floors and several rooms across from theirs. He ran across a little, coming closer sideways but slightly higher up as whatever he was using as a rope kept him from coming any closer to their suite.

"Your line's not long enough!" Brandt hollered above the wind, and Ethan shouted back sarcastically: "No, shit!"

He tugged on his rope hopefully, but there was nothing more he could do to get closer to them. Kat reached out to clutch Brandt's arm, suddenly needing the extra support as she stared with bated breath as they saw Ethan pause, thinking.

"Ethan?" Kat called as he suddenly ran sideways, away from them and around the side of the building, disappearing from their view.

"What's he doing?" Jane wondered, and Brandt replied bluntly: "From what I've seen? Probably something stupid."

It was as the words left his mouth that Ethan came back into view. Kat's eyes widened as she saw him flying towards them, having kicked off the side of the Burj to swing back towards them in a wide arc.

"He's not-" Kat gasped while Brandt ordered her and Jane, holding out the arm Kat was holding to draw them away from the window: "Back!"

They backed away from the window, giving Ethan plenty of space to jump through. Kat's breath caught as Ethan let go of his rope, going flying through the air without any suspension, heading right towards them. Kat's fingers were biting into Brandt's arm anxiously, but she let go in shock as Ethan hit his head on the top of the window, having been too high in his landing.

"Ethan!" Kat screamed as he bounced off the window, falling backwards. It turned out it was a good thing she'd let go of Brandt's arm as the man jumped, lunging for Ethan and grabbing his leg before Ethan could fall over a hundred floors to his death. Jane leapt forward, grabbing Brandt's leg with one hand as he, in turn, was pulled out the window with Ethan, and grabbing the edge of the rug under the coffee table with her other, using it to stop the weight of the men pulling her down after them.

It all happened so quickly that Kat barely had time to blink, but she moved in the next second, jumping and grabbing Brandt's other leg with one hand while latching her other hand to the bottom of the couch. The dual effort of the two women brought Brandt halfway back up into the room, so that his stomach was at least partially back inside as he balanced at the window edge. Kat's arms burnt, her knuckles going white with the effort of holding onto Brandt's leg and the underside of the couch, but she didn't care as she watched with terrified eyes, waiting for some sign of movement while praying for both men's safety.

She finally managed to let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding as Ethan appeared, pulling himself up and rolling inside. The second his legs were safely in the room, Brandt hauled himself back inside as well, the two women finally letting go of his legs as he crawled back safely away from the window. Kat collapsed against the couch, breathing hard as the adrenaline slowly left her body and left her completely drained. Apparently, the other three agreed with her sentiment as they all lay for a moment, trying to catch their breaths back.

Kat didn't even have the energy to start in surprise when the door to their room was wrenched open, and Benji hurried back inside.

"Whew!" He gasped as he leaned against the closed door, wiping his brow before he walked into the room, carrying his two gadgets. "That was not easy, but I, I did it."

He beamed at them, and Kat joined the others in just staring at Benji. He blinked at them all lying on the ground, exhausted, before asking: "What did I miss?"


	7. Plan

"The lens might be a little uncomfortable." Jane was telling Brandt as she carefully stuck the camera lens into Brandt's eye. "It captures images and transmits them to the printer in the briefcase."

Kat was sitting on the couch across from them, holding an icepack to Ethan's head in an attempt to prevent any swelling or bruising while he finished buttoning up his shirt, back in his sleek suit. Brandt blinked, frowning as he groaned while his left eye twitched, trying to adjust to the lens.

"All right?" Jane checked, and Kat glanced over as Brandt continued to blink uncomfortably.

Brandt hummed, scrunching his nose slightly as he answered: "I can't see out of one eye but it's fine."

Kat hid a small grin at his words while Jane fetched the test paper, though apparently not well enough; Ethan chuckled at her while Brandt also caught her eye and he gave her one of his boyish grins.

"Blink twice to activate the shutter." Jane ordered as she held up the test paper, which read: 'test copy' followed by a series of numbers from 0 to 9. Brandt did as she said, blinking twice as he stared at the paper.

"Notice, the numbers are in order." Jane pointed out as Brandt finished blinking and she turned to pick up the page that had slid out of the printer in their fake briefcase.

"A perfect copy." She pointed out as she held up the printed copy for Brandt to see. "But the numbers are scrambled."

Kat peered around Jane to see it was indeed the same in everything except for the numbers, which were no longer in order.

"Masks?" Ethan called as he started buttoning his cuffs, now that they knew the camera worked, and Benji confirmed: "Uh, 60 seconds."

Kat moved to button Ethan's other cuff, trying to save them some time while Benji asked Ethan hopefully: "Are you sure that I shouldn't wear a mask? You know, cause I'm not exactly Omar Sharif."

Ethan gave him a look of complete disbelief and Benji quickly finished: "I'll play it French. This," he handed Ethan what looked like a smart phone with a tracker switched on, "is your tracking device. This is what you're tracking."

He held up a few sheets of paper held together with a-

"The paper clip?" Ethan asked as he took the papers and looked at the object in question.

"No, it's the paper." Benji corrected. "It's in the briefcase. It's coated with isotopes, which give off a unique..."

He trailed off at Ethan's blank and slightly impatient look although Kat had looked over with interest, having finished straightening Ethan's cuffs. While Benji appreciated that she seemed to be impressed by his technical explanation, he explained simply to Ethan to save time: "It just means that you can track the documents, even if they switch briefcases."

"Range?" Ethan cut in, and Benji replied a little apologetically: "Not that good, like half a mile. Safest thing would be to not let Wistrom out of your sight- Is that Wistrom?"

He suddenly shifted topics, staring at the computer. Kat quickly moved out of the way as Ethan moved to stare at the computer where they could see Wistrom entering the hotel lobby, another man in tow at his side.

"Who's that with him?" Ethan demanded with a frown, and Benji shrugged helplessly as he admitted: "I don't know. We don't have an uplink, so there's no facial recognition."

Ethan picked up the laptop, moving quickly to show it to Brandt as he asked the analyst: "Who's that with him?"

Jane walked out of the bedroom, freshened up and ready after their almost disaster with the window just as Brandt replied, squinting at the computer: "That's Leonid Lisenker. Polish-born cryptographer. He redesigned Russia's nuclear security at the Cold War."

All of their faces drained as they realized.

"He's here to authenticate the launch codes." Jane murmured.

"Yes he is, we are blown." Brandt muttered, turning to Ethan, and Kat frowned as Ethan muttered, his brows furrowed in deep thought: "No, no, no."

"Well, we will be," Brandt pointed out, "as soon as he sees the counterfeit launch codes."

"We're not blown." Ethan replied shortly as he turned away from Brandt, his eyes flitting around as he thought of a way out of their dilemma.

"He's in the elevator." Kat told him as she glanced at the computer screen, and Ethan ordered Benji.

"Delay them."

Kat watched as Benji typed quickly, making Wistrom's elevator pause at the 14th floor, and the doors opened with a ding.

"Benji, how long would take it reprogram the case?" Ethan asked suddenly, and Benji replied absently: "Uh, a couple seconds. Why," he asked with a frown as Ethan's words sank in, "what for?"

"To make an exact copy of the launch codes." Ethan replied and they all turned to him in shock.

"What?!" Jane demanded as Brandt said in horror: "You can't do that."

"Wistrom's on 22." Benji said urgently, and Ethan ordered as he continued to think: "Slow him down."

"I'll do what I can." Benji muttered as he made Wistrom's elevator stop at 24 again.

Kat watched anxiously as Wistrom pushed the elevator buttons impatiently while Brandt said to Ethan urgently: "No, wait... Ethan, we... Hang on now! Hang on just a second."

Ethan held up a hand to silence the other man, but Brandt continued, protesting: "You're... You're talking about handing over _active_ nuclear launch codes to _Winstrom_?"

"Yes." Ethan replied shortly before ordering Benji. "Reprogram the case."

Benji moved to grab the case, but Brandt moved between Benji and the case as he said sharply: "No, listen. Will you... Stop, stop!"

Benji paused, glancing between the two men uncertainly as Brandt said to Ethan urgently: "Just listen to what you're saying. You're fixating. You're not thinking clearly."

"Yeah," Ethan muttered as he moved to grab the case himself, "just..."

"This is..." Brandt snatched the case, backing away from Ethan as he said firmly: "It's not gonna happen. I won't let it."

He held the case out the open window, and Ethan paused. The two men locked eyes in a battle of wills as Benji and Jane watched uncertainly when Kat called, her eyes on the computer screen: "He's at 33."

"And climbing." Benji added as he too glanced down at the screen.

"Brandt, use your head now." Ethan urged firmly. "The mission is not the codes. The mission is Hendricks."

"The just let it play out." Brandt countered. "Give him bad codes. Neutralize him."

The other three watched anxiously, their eyes flickering between the two men as though watching a tennis match as Ethan pointed out: "You know that won't do it. Failure to a terrorist is just a rehearsal for success."

Brandt's brows furrowed even as his grip on the case tightened, while Benji called nervously: "41!"

Ethan and Brandt didn't even acknowledge his call as Ethan said to Brandt seriously: "We lose Hendricks today, he shows up somewhere else tomorrow. He finds another way, with no IMF to stop him. No. It's now or never."

He held out a hand towards the case as he ordered: "Now, Brandt, give me the case."

"Nothing," Brandt retorted as he held the case further away from Ethan, "can be left to chance. You said that."

"You're the analyst." Ethan countered. "Now, tell me there's not another way for Hendricks to get those codes."

"50!" Benji cried anxiously, but again the pair at the window ignored him as Ethan continued: "You tell me that this is his only avenue, right here, right now, today. You tell me that, I'll walk away."

Brandt hesitated, before they all flinched as there was a sharp buzzing from behind, Kat jumping about a foot into the air in surprise. They all whipped around to where the noise was coming from and Kat's heart sank as she stared at the mask machine as it made a strange grinding sound and beeped warningly. She was no expert… but she was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to make that sound.

Jane moved to check and her face said it all as she looked at Ethan. Kat glanced back at him and Brandt, seeing Ethan turn away with a thoughtful frown on his face, already trying to think of an alternative while Brandt's face scrunched unhappily.

"We go without." Ethan ordered sharply, and Kat's mouth fell open while Benji cried in disbelief: "Without masks?!"

"Jane needs to go." Ethan pointed out, and Jane protested: "Ethan."

"We have no choice." Ethan said firmly and Kat's brows knit while Jane protested: "Ethan! You'd be walking in on Moreau unarmed. Face-first. Literally."

Kat glanced at Brandt, and he caught her gaze. He stared at her with his brows furrowing as she glanced meaningfully at the case while Ethan turned to Jane, asking pointedly: "How do we know they've met?"

Kat shook her head at Brandt and he pulled another grimace as they ended their silent conversation while Jane retorted to Ethan: "How do we know they haven't?"

"Doesn't matter!" Brandt snapped as he turned back to Ethan.

The other man turned back to him as Jane looked on incredulously while Brandt muttered unhappily: "Damn it."

He handed the case back over to Ethan as he said resignedly: "We have no choice."

Ethan took the case with a grim look, tossing it to Benji as Brandt glanced back over at Kat, who was gnawing her lip again. She'd thought through every scenario she could, and she'd seen Brandt desperately doing the same. Both had come up with nothing, and it left them with no alternative.

As Benji worked on changing the case, Jane hurriedly slipped on her shoes and Ethan slipped on his jacket as Kat handed Brandt his.

"There's no other way." She said quietly and he almost snapped back: "I know that."

She didn't say any more after that, just let him go silently as he followed Ethan to the door while Jane grabbed the case as Benji finished resetting it. The three walked out quickly, the two men heading swiftly for the stairs down to the floor below where Moreau was while Jane strode to the room they'd prepared for her meeting with Wistrom. Right above Moreau's room.

Kat sat at the computers as Benji moved to get ready in the bedroom, changing into the yellow hotel uniform. She clutched the walkie-talkie - which would be Benji's method of communication when he got back from his part of the plan since they couldn't risk an earpiece with him – just for something to cling to. She watched anxiously as Jane moved about her room swiftly, resetting it to look like the rooms on the 118th floor, while Wistrom and Leonid walked out of their elevator.

Ethan and Brandt had arrived outside Moreau's room at almost the same time Wistrom and Leonid arrived outside Jane's room, and Kat's hands tightened anxiously around the comm unit as Ethan knocked on Moreau's door while Wistrom knocked on Jane's.

"Goggles." Brandt whispered and Kat's breath caught as she watched Ethan quickly whip the goggles off from around his neck, tucking them into his suit jacket.

"What if they have met?" Brandt hissed under his breath, but then the door opened and he quickly shut his mouth, his face set in a neutral expression as he and Ethan were let in by one of Moreau's guards.

Meanwhile, exactly one floor above, Jane opened the door to let Wistrom into her suite, saying pleasantly: "Come in."

Kat watched worriedly as Ethan and Brandt walked slowly into Moreau's room where the woman herself was standing in the centre of her sitting room. Her eyes travelled over first Ethan and then Brandt's faces, and Kat honestly thought her heart would give out it was beating so quickly.

She breathed a sigh in relief as she heard Moreau through her ear comm when the woman demanded in a thick accent: "Which of one you is Wistrom?"

Jane also appeared relieved although she didn't betray anything as she repeated Moreau's question to Wistrom and Leonid in a fake, heavy accent: "Which one of you is Wistrom?"

"I am." Ethan and Wistrom answered at almost the exact same moment, both men reaching out their hands to their respective meeting partners in a polite greeting.

Kat watched, feeling only slightly more relaxed as she heard Wistrom add to Jane: "I admire your work."

"I'm going." Benji murmured to Kat, and she nodded, not taking her eyes off the computer as Benji left, rolling the teacart they'd prepared for him. She watched anxiously as Moreau's guards patted Ethan and Brandt down, checking them for weapons while Moreau took a seat on the couch.

"Sit." Moreau ordered when her guards stepped away from Ethan and Brandt, satisfied they weren't hiding any weapons. Her guards flanked her on both sides as Ethan and Brandt sank into the armchairs she gestured at.

"Where are my codes?" Ethan asked as he sat, and Moreau smiled slightly as she returned: "Where are my diamonds?"

Ethan gave a small, sly smile as he replied briefly: "Close by."

Jane had been listening to the exchange, and Kat watched as the agent asked Wistrom: "You have my payment?"

"When I see the codes." Wistrom answered from where he was sitting across from Jane.

There was a knock on the door and Wistrom immediately jumped up, his hand reaching inside his jacket but Jane lifted her hands in a placating manner as she soothed: "Not to worry. Come in!" She called.

Kat's heart was beating rapidly once more as she watched Benji enter Jane's room, the woman explaining to Wistrom: "I thought we could have tea."

Leonid's eyes were darting around fearfully while Wistrom eyed Benji suspiciously, but the man just smiled as he greeted Jane in a slight French accent: "Mademoiselle."

Benji nodded at Wistrom, adding: "Monsieur."

Kat sighed in relief as Wistrom slowly removed his hand from his jacket and sat back down, before she turned her attention to Ethan's room as Moreau said flatly: "No diamonds, no codes."

"No codes, no diamonds." Ethan countered and Kat waited, seeing the way Moreau's eyes seemed to narrow.

"Kill this one." She ordered abruptly, pointing at Brandt and Kat tensed as Brandt flinched slightly in surprise when one of Moreau's guards reached for his gun.

"We didn't come alone." Ethan said calmly and Moreau lifted a hand to stop her guard. "That hallway out there is killbox."

"You know who we work for." Brandt added, his tone flat, and Moreau watched them, her lips slightly pursed in thought as Ethan finished: "We come back with the codes, or we don't come back."

Kat watched anxiously, her knuckles going white she was holding her comm so tightly, as Moreau smirked before she asked: "How good is your backup?"

"The best." Brandt replied without missing a beat and Kat watched as Moreau chuckled slightly.

"I've killed the best." She said with a smug, confident air about her that caused a shiver of fear to go down Kat's spine at the sound of the voice so close to her ear.

Kat's eyes flickered over to Jane worriedly, noting the way she seemed just slightly on edge at Moreau's words. Benji had clearly noticed the same thing, and he asked Wistrom, trying to draw the man's attention: "Do you care for some sugar?"

Wistrom lifted a hand, calmly refusing as he watched Jan impatiently, while Ethan said to Moreau firmly: "Enough. Let's get this done."

He leveled a look at Moreau as he stated: "You want payment? I want guarantees."

Moreau was watching Brandt curiously as the man lightly touched under his left eye, the lens clearly bothering him, but Ethan drew Moreau's attention as he said calmly: "When he's authenticated the codes," he nodded at Brandt, "I'll make the call and you get your diamonds. That, or we all go home in buckets. Nobody leaves this hotel alive."

Moreau examined Ethan for another moment, Ethan meeting her gaze defiantly. Kat leaned in, watching as Moreau weighed the options before her, worried about the time as every second counted at the moment.

"Get the papers." Moreau ordered last, and one of her guards left the room, going to her bedroom as she turned her cool gaze back to Ethan.

Meanwhile, Jane had handed over their case to Wistrom, after having delayed as long as she could and Wistrom handed over the small pouch full of tiny diamonds. Kat glanced over at Jane's screen, watching anxiously as Jane carefully checked the diamonds before slipping them back into the pouch while Wistrom clicked at the case with a frown.

He leveled a look at Jane, which she caught and the woman asked coolly as she placed the pouch on the edge of the coffee table: "Is there a problem?"

Wistrom dropped the case back onto his lap as he almost accused: "It's locked."

Jane pretended to frown and she got up, moving to check the case while effectively blocking the men's view of Benji as he slipped one hand out from under the fake arm in the attendant uniform, grabbing the diamond pouch and pouring it into the milk jug on the teacart as Jane said apologetically: "Ah forgive me. There must be a key."

Benji turned back, slipping the now empty pouch back on the coffee table before sneaking his hand back under his uniform.

"One moment." Jane excused as she moved towards the bedroom, and Benji greeted as he left with a small bow: "Monsieurs."

Wistrom barely gave the other man a glance as Benji left, although Leonid frowned slightly as he watched the attendant maneuver the cart one-handed. Kat watched with bated breath, exhaling in relief as Benji left the room successfully before quickly rolling the cart away, pulling out his fake arm and stuffing it under the cart as he went. She turned her eyes back to Moreau's room, watching as Brandt carefully flipped through each page of codes, making sure to blink twice as he 'checked' each page.

Kat tensed as Moreau frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing just slightly as she seemed to examine Brandt. But Moreau didn't say or do anything, so Kat turned away, glancing over to watch as Jane walked back into the living room of her suite, having stalled as long as she could without being too suspicious.

"Ohh, my mistake." Jane said to Wistrom as she walked in. "It is a combination," she flipped a secret latch to reveal the combination pad, "not a key."

She made to take the case to input the code, but Wistrom withdrew the case from her hands, his gaze and tone hard as he replied coldly: "You tell me the numbers."

Jane pretended to raise a brow in offense to his reaction, but she coolly turned making to return to her seat and stalling for any extra second that she could.

"They're good." Brandt said as he finished with the papers, and Kat let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding while Jane said at Brandt's signal: "Zero."

Wistrom twirled the dials as Jane continued: "Zero."

The smirk on Jane's face as she settled in her chair was too perfectly genuine to be an act as she finished: "Zero."

Wistrom gave her an unamused glare before he opened the case. Kat glanced between the two screens anxiously, starting to worry about timing as Wistrom handed the papers over to Leonid while Ethan called Benji, his signal to bring the diamonds.

Kat bit her lip anxiously, waiting to see Benji's progress as he quickly wiped the diamonds clean while trying to get the elevator to take him downstairs. Kat saw it about to stop and quickly typed onto Benji's computer, making it miss the couple who'd wanted to go to the observation deck and reach Benji first. He got in quickly heading down to meet Ethan while Leonid checked the codes in Jane's room.

Benji knocked on Moreau's door just as Leonid reached the last page and Kat chewed her lip raw as she watched Moreau's guard take the teacup from Benji. Benji left quickly, heading for the stairs to get back to their suite room, while the guard handed Moreau the cup.

She poured the diamonds into her hand, checking them just as Leonid finished checking the codes. He nodded once at Wistrom, who snatched the codes back and stuffed them in the case. He got up, striding out quickly as Leonid hurried after him and Jane called after him desperately: "It was a pleasure doing business with-"

Wistrom slammed the door on her before she could even finish her sentence, and Jane hissed quickly into the comms: "Winstrom has the launch codes. He's on the move."

Kat watched Wistrom anxiously, tracking his progress and she watched as he punched speed dial on his cell while Leonid cried: "Hey, I, I did as you asked. I did. Now let my family go!"

Kat's face fell as she realized how the man had come to be here, and she watched sympathetically as Wistrom ordered into his phone: "Release Leonid's family."

"Thank God." Leonid sighed, and Wistrom answered swiftly: "You can thank him in person."

Kat's eyes widened in horror and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stop a scream as Wistrom shot Leonid twice in the chest, the shots muffled by some kind of silencer.

' _Oh, my God_.' Kat thought in terror as Wistrom pressed the button for the elevator impatiently and then her eyes hardened. There had been no need to kill Leonid, who had simply done what he had to for his family's sake.

She quickly started typing into Benji's computer, stalling the elevator's from coming up to Wistrom, as Moreau finished checking the diamonds and placed them carefully into her handbag. Kat hade just made another elevator pass Wistrom, when Moreau held up the papers to Brandt, saying casually: "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

Brandt stood, reaching for the papers when Moreau's eyes narrowed and she pulled back slightly. Brandt and Ethan glanced at her in confusion, both tensing slightly at her movements, but her eyes were focused solely on Brandt. Or more specifically, his left eye.


	8. Disaster

" _Kill him_!" Moreau ordered in French when she saw the camera in Brandt's eye. Her guards moved swiftly, reaching for their guns but Ethan was quicker. He kicked the coffee table up, taking down two men as Moreau made a run for it while Brandt leapt back.

A guard pulled his gun at Brandt, but he moved swiftly and Kat's jaw dropped as she saw him grab the gun, pulling the slide out sharply and rendering the gun useless while at the same time throwing the slide right into another man's neck and effectively knocking him down. He turned back to the first guard as the man tried to punch him as he tossed his now useless gun, but Brandt grabbed the man's fist and jabbed his elbow sharply into the man's neck.

Kat jumped as the door to their suite opened and she was distracted as Benji ran in, long enough for an elevator to finally stop for Wistrom.

"Damn it!" She swore when she looked back down and saw him entering the elevator.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Benji demanded and she replied urgently: "No time. Wistrom's in the elevator."

"What?" Benji cried as he hurried over, taking over the computer as Kat moved aside for him while she kept her anxious eyes on Moreau's room. Moreau was just slipping out the door as Ethan took out a guard, only to be met by another.

"Moreau's on the move!" Ethan called sharply as he took out the guard before turning to punch another as the man tried to sneak up on him.

"I've got her." Jane growled and Kat paled.

"Jane?" Ethan called, also catching the deadly tone in the woman's voice. "She's an asset! I need her alive! Acknowledge!"

Jane didn't reply and Kat chewed her lip as Ethan punched another man while he repeated sharply: "Acknowledge!"

Kat's hands clenched around her comm tightly as she watched Moreau rapidly trying to get the elevator. Benji stopped any from going to her and they watched Moreau disappear from their sight, heading towards the emergency stairs. Hopefully, or maybe not, Jane would cut her off.

Meanwhile, Benji took the walkie-talkie from Kat, calling to Ethan: "Uh... Ethan, Winstram is in the elevator. I, I can't see Leonid, though."

"He was shot right outside the elevator on our floor." Kat said, switching on her ear comms so that they could all hear her.

Benji glanced at her in surprise, but didn't comment as Ethan called sharply while he kicked more guards down: "Benji, slow him down. Get me an elevator."

Ethan stooped to grab his tracker as Benji stopped Wistrom on the 101st floor, while Kat's eyes widened as she saw Brandt grab a guard's leg as the man tried to kick him in the head, twisting it in a way that made the man scream in pain before he punched the man harshly in the head. The man immediately lost consciousness, and Brandt slowly straightened to see Ethan staring at him with a dark expression.

Brandt paused, his actions catching up to him as he met Ethan's eyes, but before he could say anything Ethan ordered harshly: "Get to Leonid."

He then ran off, heading for the elevator Benji had waiting for him while the techie also simultaneously tried to keep Wistrom from reaching the lobby.

"Benji, I've got a lock on Winstram." Ethan called as he walked into the elevator. "But I can't tell, is he still in the elevator?"

"Winstram's in the elevator, Ethan." Kat replied as Benji typed away at the computer.

"Kat?" Ethan called, and Kat frowned as she heard a slight crackle in his comm. "Ben-i?"

She glanced over at Benji as they heard Ethan breaking up and Benji called while trying to stall Wistrom: "Ethan. Over?"

They watched Ethan as he tapped on his comms before looking at the security camera, his hand lifted over his ear as he showed them he couldn't hear.

"Ethan, can you hear me?" Benji called worriedly. "Ethan, can you hear me? Over."

Kat jumped as the door burst open, and she and Benji whipped around to see Moreau standing in the doorway, her face set in dark anger.

"Oh, Jesus!" Benji gasped as he leapt to his feet while Kat bit back a shriek, flinching as Moreau was shoved into the room to show Jane behind the blonde assassin, holding a gun to Moreau's back as she pushed the other woman. Moreau glared back at Jane angrily, but walked as Jane pushed her harshly further into the room, shoving her in an armchair as she snarled: "Sit down!"

Kat watched with terrified eyes as Jane dropped Moreau's handbag in a corner, handing her gun over to Benji as she bit out, her eyes never leaving Moreau: "Watch her."

"Why, why, why me?" Benji stammered as he took the gun shakily.

"Because if I do, I'll kill her." Jane snarled, her voice shaking just slightly as she turned away, striding into the bedroom to get away from Moreau. Kat watched her leave anxiously, before glancing back at Benji and Moreau. The blonde woman was fuming silently as Benji was holding the gun with both hands to steady himself as he watched Moreau and Kat glanced down at the computer.

She saw Wistrom finally reaching the lobby, moving quickly towards the doors, but she was relieved to see Ethan arrive just seconds after. She watched Ethan head swiftly after Wistrom, moving to cut the man off before he reached the escalators leading to the front door, when Brandt's voice made her jump.

"Kat? Benji?" He called over the comms, and Kat glanced briefly over to the other screen to see Brandt kneeling before Leonid.

"Go for Benji." Benji replied, speaking into the comm unit, and becoming briefly being distracted from watching Moreau just as Kat lifted her head.

"I've got Leonid by the elevators." Brandt called just as Kat cried in warning: "Benji!"

It was too late- Moreau jumped him, whacking him hard in the head and knocking him out. Kat jumped over, grabbing Moreau's arm in an attempt to stop her, but the blonde woman twisted them so that Kat's arm was bent back sharply. She cried out in pain as Moreau reached for the gun, when Jane came charging out of the bedroom.

Moreau lifted the gun as Jane tackled her, sending all three women crashing into the coffee table. Kat struggled to get away while Jane kept a firm hold on Moreau, but Moreau elbowed her harshly in the face and Jane's grip slipped. Moreau ducked away as Jane shot her arm out to grab the blonde woman again, just missing as she grabbed the sleeve of Moreau's dress instead.

There was a loud ripping sound as the dress tore while Kat scrambled for the gun Moreau had dropped. The sound of something heavy smashing made her turn and Kat yelped as she ducked a lamp Moreau had thrown her way, after throwing a vase in Jane's direction. It had just missed, smashing into the floor instead, when Moreau had seen Kat going for the gun. Hence the lamp at her head.

Kat barely avoiding being hit by the lamp as Moreau and Jane struggled in the corner of the room and Kat tried to go for the gun again when Jane shouted: "Kat!"

Kat glanced back and dove to the side as another vase came flying towards her. She'd just crawled back to her feet when Moreau came crashing down onto the rug before her, not too far from the gun after Jane had kicked her. Kat launched fir the gun before Moreau could, and her hand had just touched it when Moreau smashed her elbow down on Kat's arm.

Kat yelped in pain as she was forced to let go of the gun, and Moreau grabbed the gun. She rose, pointing it at Kat when Jane grabbed Moreau's arm and swung the gun away so that it pointed harmlessly into the ceiling as Moreau fired.

Kat shrieked at the sound, moving quickly out of the way as Moreau and Jane wrestled for control over the gun, Moreau continuing to fire as Jane struggled to keep the gun pointed in the air. They crashed into the window, a foot away from the open hole and Kat gasped. She whirled around in alarm when the door to their suite opened, before she breathed in relief as she saw Brandt standing there, his gun pointed in front of him.

He paused, taking in the scene before he ordered: "Kat! Bedroom!"

Kat scrambled to get to the room and out of the way, not questioning his order, when suddenly Brandt shouted: "Jane!"

Kat whipped around to see Jane fall to the ground and Moreau spun, pointing her gun at Jane as Brandt warned sharply: "No!"

Moreau fired at the same time Jane's foot shot out, kicking the woman in the stomach and causing her shot to miss, hitting the wall harmlessly, while sending Moreau flying… right out the hole in the window panels. Kat screamed with Moreau as the blonde fell, the latter's shriek fading into the distance as she fell all 119 floors.

Kat's hands moved to cover her mouth as she tried to gain control over herself, gasping in shock as Jane slowly got to her feet, looking as shocked as the rest of them. Brandt had lowered his gun, but his mouth was parted in horror, unable to believe what had just happened, when Benji suddenly sat up, gripping his head in pain.

"What happened?" Benji asked numbly as he tried to focus around the pounding in his head.

"Jane-" Brandt began to growl, and Benji glanced at around worriedly, hearing the deadly tone in Brandt's voice.

His eyes immediately landed on Kat, and he asked quickly: "Kat? You okay?"

Brandt glanced over, noting the way the woman was shaking as she held her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and terrified. Kat shook her head, starting to gasp as she began to hyperventilate.

"Woah!" Benji cried, starting towards her before his legs gave out and he crashed back onto the ground. "Kat-"

"It's okay." Brandt said firmly, coming over and kneeling in front of the woman. Her eyes focused on him as he called her attention: "Kat?"

Kat stared at him, and he ordered: "Breathe. It's okay."

Kat was still taking short quick gasps, and Brandt ordered as he demonstrated: "Deep breath. Come on."

Kat slowly followed his lead, taking a shaky breath. She repeated the action a few times, her breathing and heart rate slowly coming back to normal as she stared at Brandt's blue eyes, using that to anchor herself. When he was satisfied she wasn't going to lose it, Brandt turned away, leaving Kat to come to terms with what had happened while his gaze darkened and he glared at Jane.

She had been watching Kat's progress, but at his look she turned away, not meeting his accusatory glare. Benji glanced between them anxiously as a heavy silence descended upon them, Kat's slowing breathing the only sound that could be heard.

* * *

The car-ride back to the safe house was dead silent, and Kat had thought she would suffocate from the tension. They'd left quickly after Ethan had returned empty-handed from his chase across the city, tired and dirty after going through the sandstorm. It was clear everyone was stewing as the weight of their failure sank in, and Kat and Benji kept meeting eyes uncomfortably as Brandt glared at the back of Jane's head while she ignored him to glare out the window into the desert. Ethan wasn't looking at any of them, keeping his gaze fixed on the road.

The moment they arrived back at the safe house, Ethan disappeared into the bathroom, most likely to wash off all the sand and probably to try cool off a little bit. Jane definitely was as she took over the kitchen sink, dipping a cloth in the water and pressing it to her face and neck. Benji sank into a chair, his laptop open on the kitchen table as he tried to find a way to trace Hendricks, and Kat gingerly took the seat beside him while Brandt leant on the table beside them.

The analyst finally cracked, his control on his temper breaking as Brandt snarled at Jane: "Now, what happened with Moreau, Jane?"

"She couldn't help us with Hendricks." Jane replied, her tone more even… although barely.

Brandt wasn't even trying as he yelled at her: "So let's throw her off the building!"

"I didn't throw her." Jane snapped, turning to face Brandt angrily, but he was just as furious as he shouted: " Let's throw her off the building! She was not," he slammed a fist onto the table, making both Benji and Kat flinch, "the mission, Jane!"

Jane's hands had curled into tight fists while Benji and Kat shrank in their seats, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire as Brandt advanced on Jane, yelling: "The mission was to track the file back to Hendricks, who is in the wind, with nuclear launch codes!"

"Well, maybe if you had found Leonid faster," Jane snarled, her temper starting to get the best of her, "we would have at least saved one asset!"

"He'd been shot in the chest! Nothing could've saved him, but nothing, except you, was stopping us from at least catching Moreau!" Brandt yelled and Jane shouted back, looking like she was ready to murder Brandt: "It was self-defense! Maybe you missed the gun she was pointing at me!"

"Kat had a gun pointed at her, but she didn't _throw_ Moreau off the building!" Brandt yelled, and Kat cringed at being dragged into the argument.

But it got worse as Jane whirled on her, snapping: "Speaking of which, why didn't you tell us you're a hacker?"

"I'm not a hacker." Kat said a little too defensively. "I have a master's degree in computer science."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Jane growled, and Kat countered, her eyes flashing with anger at the accusation: "You didn't ask."

"You should've told us." Brandt countered, still fuming but his anger now turning to Kat. "It was important, and we could've used that knowledge! It could've saved us all time!"

"You are the ones that said I couldn't help." Kat glowered at him, annoyed by his statement. "I was just a civilian who wanted to go home."

Brandt glared back at her, clearly unimpressed by her jab, while Benji began: "Now, I don't think you guys are thinking straight-"

"And how the hell did the Russians find us?" Jane demanded as she focused on Benji, who gaped.

"What are you asking me for?" He demanded, and Jane shouted as she slammed his laptop shut: "Because you're communications! You were in charge of covering our tracks!"

"I'm sorry, are you suggesting-" Benji began, his own anger stirring at the accusation, when Brandt cut in sternly: "We cannot afford to make mistakes like that now, Benji. You're not a technician anymore. You're a field agent."

Benji turned to Brandt, taken-aback and offended. Kat was just thinking it couldn't get worse, when Ethan let his presence back in the room known, snapping angrily as he trained his dark eyes on Brandt: "And you're just an analyst! Right?"

Brandt paused, as did everyone else. Benji and Jane were looking a little confused, while Kat's eyes flitted between the two men as Brandt blinked in shock and Ethan repeated, shouting accusingly: "Right?!"

Kat winced, starting to chew on her lip anxiously as Ethan strode to stand before Brandt, demanding in a deadly voice: "Who are you really, Brandt?"

"What are you asking?" Brandt replied, his voice even, although his blue eyes were just as icy.

"What am I asking?" Ethan repeated, and he shook his slightly as he turned a little away from Brandt. "Well, let me see if I can put it another way."

He suddenly pulled out his gun, pointing it at Brandt. Benji flinched as Jane's eyes narrowed and Kat gasped, her eyes wide as she watched Brandt grab the gun, pulling it out of Ethan's hand as he moved to avoid a line of fire. The movement exposed his back just long enough for Ethan to grab Brandt's gun, which had been tucked into the waistband of his pants in the small of his back, and he started to point it at Brandt.

Brandt spun, catching Ethan's hand before Ethan could shoot and he twisted the gun out of Ethan's hand, taking it himself and pointing it directly at Ethan's head as their brief duel ended. Kat's heart was racing as she watched uncertainly while Jane pulled her gun, pointing it at Brandt.

Ethan hadn't even flinched, his gaze calculating as he asked Brandt in a low voice: "How does an agent with skills like that, end up an analyst?"

Brandt's fists tightened briefly around his gun, his jaw clenching before he pulled out the gun's magazine, throwing it behind him as he rendered the gun useless. Jane paused, slowly lowering her own gun as Brandt told Ethan flatly: "Well, we all have our secrets."

He held out the gun, handing it back to Ethan as he said pointedly: "Don't we, Ethan?"

Ethan took the gun back, his eyes never leaving Brandt as he said slowly: "You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

There was a brief silence as everyone looked at Brandt, wondering what he would do. Kat bit her lip, watching as Brandt seemed to consider it for a moment before he looked away, his gaze lowering as he turned away from the other man. Benji and Jane exchanged looks as Brandt leant heavily against the stair rails, while Kat glanced between Brandt's dejected back and Ethan's disappointed and then resigned expression.

Ethan finally turned back to his team, glancing at Jane and Benji as he told them flatly: "I have friends in the region. Just sit tight. I'll send someone to get you out of here."

He grabbed the car keys and turned to leave, making them all frown.

"What about Hendricks?" Jane asked in confusion. "What's the plan?"

"The plan," Ethan answered a little sharply as he turned back to look at Jane, "was for us to stop him together."

His tone made it clear what he meant and Jane stiffened while Kat glanced around uneasily.

"Ethan…" Kat began but Ethan answered sharply: "Don't worry, _Miss 160IQ_ ," she stiffened while the others' mouths dropped open and they gaped at her, "you'll be home soon enough."

Her eyes narrowed and she wondered how he'd found out, when Ethan turned back to the door, striding out without another look back, and Benji called after him worriedly: "Well, what are you gonna do?"

"Change the plan." Ethan replied shortly as he opened the door and Jane demanded: "Wait. That's it?"

He didn't answer as he slammed the door behind him.

"What, what you gonna do?" Benji demanded at the closed door. "Go after him alone?"

He gave up, sighing dejectedly as they were left alone, while Jane turned to glare at Brandt, deciding to tackle the greater evil first, as the man moved to get his jacket and bag.

"Would you care to explain yourself, Agent Brandt?" She snarled, and Brandt paused halfway through picking up his bag. Brandt seemed to be deliberating before he finally sighed, dropping his bag as his shoulders sagged in defeat… and despair.

"Where's the Scotch?" He asked as he slowly turned back to them.


	9. Catch

"I was on a protection detail in Croatia." Brandt began slowly. "Shadowing the assets."

Kat, Jane, and Benji all listened silently, sitting around the kitchen table as Brandt continued his story: "Husband and wife. They were never supposed to know we were there. Whole thing's routine. It was a milk run."

He took a large swing of his Scotch, staring at his glass as he continued: "Three days in, we caught wind that a Serbian hit squad was after our couple. But," he shrugged, "my team had it under control, we knew they were coming."

He paused, before he admitted: "But I couldn't shake this feeling that I should warn the couple somehow. I wanted to find a way to let them know. But, you know," he shrugged again, "orders are orders, so I didn't."

Brandt sighed deeply, and Kat tensed. She could tell this was where it went wrong.

"One day," Brandt said slowly, "the husband decides to leave the hotel and go for a run. So I follow him and I leave two men with the wife."

He swallowed, his eyes on the ground as he said flatly: "When I get back, my guys are unconscious and the wife is gone."

Benji glanced at Jane, but she was watching Brandt with a sympathetic look on her face as he finished: "Local police found her body three days later. What was left of her anyway."

Kat's face fell, and Brandt finally looked up at them.

"That was my last day in the field." He said quietly. "I couldn't face another life-or-death situation after that."

There was a brief silence as the weight of that statement weighed down on them. Jane finally asked carefully: "So, what happened to the husband?"

"I never saw him again." Brandt replied.

Jane began to nod in understanding when Brandt surprised them all as he continued: "Until two days ago, in Moscow, when the Secretary introduced me to Ethan Hunt."

Kat's blood turned cold and her mouth dropped open. Jane had reeled back in shock while Benji's mouth parted, and he stammered, stunned: "No, that's, that's not what happened. She left him."

"Yeah," Brandt shrugged slightly, staring back at his Scotch, "I heard that one, too, Benji. But, unfortunately," he looked back at the other man, "I was there."

He swallowed before admitting: "Just like I was there when the Secretary got the phone call that Ethan was in custody for killing six Serbian nationals in cold blood."

"An unsanctioned hit." Benji murmured. Apparently this news meant something more to him and Jane, as Kat noted absently that they had looks of horrified realization on their faces. She couldn't really focus on it though, her mind still reeling from Brandt's story as she tried to come to terms with the tragedy for everyone involved.

"Yeah." Brandt said moodily as Jane murmured: "Disavowed."

He exhaled sharply, before raising his head, looking at them once more as he said flatly: "The next thing I know, I'm on a plane to Dubai," he looked at Jane, "wondering the whole time, do I tell him? How do I tell him? That I'm responsible."

Jane's face had flooded with sympathy, all their earlier anger gone as his eyes moved to Benji as he continued: "I could have warned him. I should have warned him. But I didn't."

His eyes shifted, landing on Kat as he finished hoarsely: "And she died."

Kat's gaze was filled with sorrow as she met his eyes, and her heart tugged painfully as she read the regret and, more importantly, deep self-loathing in the ocean-blue depths. They all sat for a long time in silence, feeling overwhelmed by Brandt's admittance and the events of the day.

Jane was the first to move, standing at last and placing a hand on Brandt's shoulder in comfort before she headed for the bedroom, clearly needing some time to recover emotionally. Benji watched her leave before he too stood, nodding at Brandt and Kat as he went to wash up.

Brandt was staring gloomily at his Scotch before his eyes flickered up to Kat as she said quietly: "It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, it was." Brandt replied gloomily and Kat chided softly: "You didn't know."

"I should've." Brandt sighed, running a hand down his face. "I had bad feeling, and I should've followed it and warned him."

"Yeah, well, hindsight's 20/20." Kat pointed out gloomily. "I should've told you guys about the computer thing, I just didn't think it was important. And I was scared I'd mess up."

Brandt glanced at her, his blue eyes thoughtful as he asked: "How did you know how to work the elevators?"

"I watched Benji, and copied what he'd done." Kat replied with a shrug. "It wasn't that hard… for someone who's had experience."

She smiled faintly, and Brandt answered it in a similar manner.

"Have you tried hacking before?" Brandt asked after a brief moment of silence. He'd noted the overly defensive tone Kat had had when Jane accused her, and he wondered if it was because the accusation hadn't been baseless.

Kat winced, sighing before she took Brandt's glass from him as she muttered: "Something like that."

He glanced at her, surprised as she took a gulp of the strong alcohol, pulling a face, before she set the glass back down and admitted: "I hacked the Pentagon before."

"You what?" Brandt asked flatly, too shocked to show any emotion and Kat winced again.

"I hacked the Pentagon before." She repeated, taking another fortifying sip of the Scotch. "It was a high school dare."

"You… hacked the Pentagon. When you were in high school." Brandt repeated incredulously. "On a dare?"

She nodded, sighing again as she admitted: "It was that or skinny-dipping in the local community pool after hours."

"And you chose to hack the Pentagon." Brandt said, a smile slowly starting to spread across his face as he watched Kat's face redden with embarrassment and the effects of the alcohol.

"So sue me." Kat muttered and he chuckled: "I should."

"I was caught." Kat admitted and Brandt raised a brow. "But the point of the dare was that I do something crazy before I turned sixteen and could be held 'legally responsible for my actions', so the court didn't press charges."

"You hacked the Pentagon when you were fifteen?" Brandt asked in surprise, and Kat corrected: "I might as well have been sixteen, it was like fifteen minutes before my birthday."

"And you got caught on your birthday, I'm assuming?" Brandt chuckled incredulously and Kat nodded.

"It was a lovely present waiting for me when I got home from school." She replied dryly. "Needless to say, my parents were not very happy with me."

"And you got away with it because you were underage?" Brandt asked in a mix of disbelief and amusement and Kat shrugged.

"Sort of. I was given two years of community service." She explained. "But, I mean they _like_ that kind of stuff as long as you weren't meaning any harm. It's how I got into Stanford; the head of communications at the Pentagon recommended me."

"Huh." Was all Brandt could say in reply, and the pair lapsed back into silence for a moment, before Brandt's lips twitched.

"I _was_ going to make fun of you and ask if you were sure they didn't accidentally mix up your IQ from 106 to 160," He began, and Kat snorted, "but I guess you are actually a nerd."

"Idiot." Kat countered, and he grinned, before pausing again.

"So." He began, and Kat glanced at him questioningly as he fought an amused smirk. "While we're spilling our deepest, darkest secrets," Kat snorted, "anything else you want to tell me, Miss civilian?"

He was grinning now, and Kat smiled as she replied lightly: "Well, I can speak four languages."

Brandt let out a bark of surprised laughter, asking in disbelief: "Are you serious?"

Kat nodded as she listed: "French, Spanish, German… and Russian."

Brandt shook his head, chuckling as he said with a hint of admiration in his tone: "You, Miss civilian, are full of surprises."

"Thank you, I try." Kat said as she fought a smile and failed miserably. "I mean, it's not the same as hiding badass, killer moves, but..."

Brandt chuckled at her light joke, shaking his head again. His blue eyes were twinkling with amusement, and his shoulders had relaxed as he shot a grin at Kat, and she smiled back. Ignoring the hammering in her heart as his smile widened into that rare boyish smile she was starting to love.

Boy, was she in trouble now.

* * *

The group drove to the airport Ethan had instructed them to meet him at, and Kat raised a brow as she saw the jet Ethan was waiting beside.

"How'd he score that?" She asked, and Brandt chuckled as he replied: "Let's find out."

They climbed out of the jeep, Benji asking as he noted the many bags piled up by the foot of the airstairs: "What's in the bags?"

"It's our gear." Ethan replied as he nodded at them in greeting.

"How'd you get it?" Jane asked in surprise, and Ethan smirked slightly as he replied: "I made a friend."

That made them pause, before Benji let out a sigh as he admitted: "Well, I'm glad we could help."

"You can help now." Ethan replied, and his tone clearly said he wanted to let bygones by bygones. Benji and Jane smiled, while Kat glanced at Brandt. Ethan did the same, and Brandt sighed.

"Look, Ethan," Brandt began uncomfortably, "before we..."

"Whatever happened, happened." Ethan interrupted firmly. "We still have a chance to clean this up, but we have to do it now. And we have to do it together."

Kat glanced at Brandt, wondering what he would do. Brandt paused, thinking, before he nodded.

"OK." He replied. "So, where we going?"

Ethan smiled, a wide, toothy smile that made Kat instantly know that this was going be another elaborate, and impossible, plan.

"India." Ethan replied and Kat's brows shot up. Brandt also raised a brow before he glanced at the others.

"India?" He asked them, and Jane nodded as Benji replied casually: "Yeah. Sure."

Kat smiled, nodding, and Brandt turned back to Ethan as he replied nonchalantly: "OK. Great."

He led the way, Kat trailing him as she sent a grin in Ethan's direction.

"Another detour?" She teased and he smiled, nodding as he replied: "Another detour."

"I'm starting to think you don't want me to get home, Mr. Super-spy." Kat joked as she followed Brandt up the stairs and into the jet.

Ethan grinned after her while Jane followed behind the younger woman and Benji added to Ethan as he followed Jane: "Love the jet."

Ethan chuckled, saying as he followed them in last: "Wait till you see the car."

* * *

"Brij Nath." Jane read slowly and Ethan nodded.

"Brij Nath." He explained to the group as the team sat in the main cabin of their jet. "Playboy. Multimedia tycoon."

Kat wrinkled her nose as she stared at the photo of the man, noting the confident smirk and the many, many rings and necklaces hanging off his fingers and neck.

"On the surface, his entire network is state-of-the-art." Ethan continued as he paced before them. "But it's built on illegally acquired Cold War cast-offs, including this."

He showed them a photo of a satellite as he explained: "The Novosti satellite. Hendricks needs it to launch a nuclear strike, and we have to shut it down before he gets that chance. And to do that we need to get the access code from him."

He pointed at Nath.

"One way or another." Ethan finished, looking at Jane. The woman was biting her lip as Brandt was frowning thoughtfully while Benji pursed his lips, peering with Kat at the plans Ethan had distributed as he'd talked. As Ethan continued to look at Jane expectantly, she abruptly stood up, leaving the cabin and heading for the bedroom at the rear of the jet.

Kat glanced at Jane as she left, watching with worried eyes but she stayed where she was as Ethan got up and followed Jane, softly closing the bedroom door behind him. Kat turned back to the others, to see Benji and Brandt looking in the same direction she had.

Brandt turned back, catching Kat's eye and giving her a small smile. She returned it sympathetically as Benji also turned his attention away from Jane, saying loudly: "Right. So, let's get started, hey?"

* * *

"OK, to shut down the satellite we have to manually tap into the central server." Benji was saying as the three sat around one of the booths in the main cabin. The table was littered with the blueprints of Nath's building as well as all the notes for their plan and all the information on their equipment. Kat was going through the plans again while Brandt stared at the shiny metallic suit that was hovering over a small, wheeled device.

"Now," Benji continued as he pointed at Brandt, "you'll enter through the exhaust vent wearing this under your suit," he indicated the floating suit, "uh, drop down into the computer array, and I'll catch you," Kat glanced at Brandt at that, taking in his heavily skeptical expression, "then move you along to the relay room, and you jack into the panel."

He switched off the rover as he spoke, and Brandt watched the suit fall with an ominous clang. There were many things he could see going wrong with this plan, and it appeared he had drawn the shortest stick of them all. Kat was looking at him sympathetically as he cleared his throat and began: "OK, so we enter the party separately as guests. Ethan quarterbacks while Kat gets the chip into the mansion server and Jane gets... the codes…"

He trailed off, clearly not wanting to go on, but Benji continued impatiently: "Gets the codes from the billionaire, I switch off the fan thanks to Kit-Kat's hacking, you jump into the computer array and I catch you, you plug in the transmitter," Brandt lifted a finger but Benji continued over him, "then Ethan feeds me the codes, which I then use to pinpoint Hendricks's location."

"OK, yeah," Brandt began nervously as he twirled his finger in the air, "but you, um, just breezed over something I think is really important."

Kat sighed as Benji looked up blankly while Brandt pointed out uncertainly: "The computer array part, where I just... jump?"

"And I catch you." Benji finished, nodding.

"Yeah." Brandt muttered hesitantly, and Benji demanded: "I don't... Why is that so hard to grasp?"

"Well, yeah," Brandt said sarcastically, "why… it's a 25 foot drop. And we're using magnets." He nodded at the suit.

"Yeah." Benji nodded, not understanding what the problem was, while Kat grimaced at Brandt sympathetically. She knew exactly what he was thinking about.

"In light of our recent efforts," Brandt said pointedly, "uh, the technology is kind of…"

He trailed off suggestively and Benji said defensively: "The science is sound. All right? I'd be more worried about the heat."

Kat winced while Benji turned back to the plans and Brandt raised a brow.

"And then there's that." Brandt said flatly before he demanded: " _What_ heat?"

"Well, it's like any computer, isn't it?" Benji replied impatiently as he looked back at Brandt. "If you switch off the fan," he suddenly seemed to realized what he was saying, "it's gonna get," he avoided Brandt's eyes sheepishly, "really hot."

He chuckled nervously and Brandt chuckled sarcastically as he replied: "Of course."

"Relatively, you know." Benji said quickly as Kat shot him a reproachful look.

"Of course it will." Brandt groaned. "So, I'm jumping into a…" he trailed off as he tried to find a word, "an oven, essentially."

"Yeah. Essentially." Benji admitted sheepishly before he added encouragingly: "But, um, I'll catch you."

He smiled tentatively, and Brandt just gave him a look.

"Great." He deadpanned.

"You'll be fine." Kat tried to encourage the agent, but as Brandt sent her an incredulous look and she turned to Benji quickly.

"So, um, just to go over my part again." Kat said, and Benji quickly took her attempt to change the topic with a grateful look at Kat.

"Right," he began as Brandt folded his arms across his chest in annoyance, "so Kit-Kat, you'll go to the party with Brandt. He'll head towards the kitchen-"

"To jump into an _oven_ apparently." Brandt muttered sarcastically, and Kat grimaced again while Benji ploughed on determinedly: "-And you will head for the restroom. Or rather, the emergency stairwell near the restrooms. You reach the powerbox, clip in this," he lifted their wire clips, "and wrap this wire around the mainframe cord."

He held up the wire attached to the clip and Kat nodded.

"This will grant _you_ access into Nath's server," she took over pointing at Benji, "so that you can control the fans..."

She trailed off, glancing at Brandt sheepishly as her attempt to steer the conversation away from Brandt's part of the plan failed. Benji also winced as Brandt deadpanned: "And then I get to jump, wearing a magnetic suit."

"Yes." Kat said apologetically. "But, um… at least Benji'll catch you?"

"Lucky me." Brandt said monotonously, and Benji finally glared at the 'analyst' while Kat lifted her eyes to the heavens in a silent prayer for patience and desperate plea for luck.


	10. Mumbai

Kat bit her lip nervously as Brandt slid their dark BMW smoothly around the fountain circle that decorated the drive, coming to a stop before the valets at the mansion doors.

"Don't do that." Brandt ordered quietly before he stepped out of the driver's seat. "You'll smudge your lipstick."

Kat quickly let go of her bottom lip, smoothing the folds of her red silk dress nervously as Brandt walked around the car while one of Nath's doormen opened Kat's door. He met her eyes as he stood by the door and held out his hand, his blue eyes filled with determination but also concern. Kat took a deep breath, and gathering her courage she took his offered hand and stepped out of the car, her fingers squeezing his slightly as she silently signaled she was ready.

He nodded just slightly, drawing her arm under his as he led them into the party. She could feel the way his muscles were tensed beneath his suit, probably in dreaded anticipation for the stunt he was about to pull, and Kat squeezed his arm reassuringly as they walked passed an Indian dance display in the front lobby.

"Good luck." Kat murmured and he nodded as they parted at a pillar, just behind Ethan and Jane.

"Comm check." Ethan murmured as he stood with Jane, and Brandt replied as he walked passed the pair: "Saturn's got your five-by-five, Jupiter."

"Mercury, heading in." Kat added as she walked in the opposite direction, weaving her way through the party guests and heading for the sign marking the restrooms. Only in a house this big would a person actually mark where his restrooms were. And in gold-plating, too.

"This is Pluto." Benji called in last from where he would be down in the sewers. "I have arrived at the party."

Kat slid passed a couple, who were laughing as they held their champagne flutes, and headed further into the as yet deserted hallway.

"There he is." Jane murmured suddenly over the comms, almost making Kat flinch. She really needed to get used to having their voices pop up in her ear.

"Get us that code." Ethan murmured, clearly meant for Jane. Kat glanced around before opening the door to the emergency stairs and quickly slipping inside and closing the door softly behind her as Ethan informed the team: "Venus moving in on target."

Kat climbed the half-flight of stairs, opening the power box just as Ethan relayed: "Hook's in. You do make an impression." He added, complimenting Jane.

Kat had to agree with him. Jane had looked stunning in her sleek turquoise evening gown, a long slit on one side that showed off the woman's willowy legs, and a plunging neckline that just bordered on the line between teasing and straight-out indecent. Kat could just picture Jane's smoky eyes luring Nath in.

"Why am I Pluto?" Benji whined as Kat clipped on the wire clips. "It's not even a planet anymore."

"Well," Brandt tossed back lightly, "I think Uranus is available."

Kat suppressed a smile, while Benji retorted sarcastically: "Ha-ha-ha. It's funny 'cause you said 'anus'."

There was a pause before Brandt called: "I'm in position."

"Mercury?" Benji called, and Kat murmured: "Just a sec..." She finished wrapping the wires around. "Okay, done."

"I have control of the system." Benji confirmed. "Sending in the rover."

"Great, now get out of there, Mercury." Ethan ordered and she nodded absently.

"Mercury?" Ethan called, and Kat replied quickly: "Yeah, sorry. Going back now."

She poked her head back out of the stairwell door before slipping into the corridor, thanking the Lord that there wasn't anyone there as she did. She had just shut the door when Ethan began coaching Jane: "He's moving to you. Give him your back. You don't want to make it too easy for him."

Kat wrinkled her nose at Ethan's constant nagging, while Jane hissed, clearly also annoyed: "Are you gonna be talking the whole time?"

She then went quiet and Kat's frown intensified, although in a different way, as she heard Nath's voice over Jane's comm as he ordered: "In 20 minutes, I want a glass of Cuvee Louis in every guest's hand. And make sure all of them have a bottle to take home by the end of the night."

Kat rolled her eyes in disgust but kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to distract Jane as she heard Nath ask: "Impressed yet?"

"I'm more of a bourbon girl." Jane replied coyly, and Kat couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her.

"Mercury." Ethan scolded quietly and she quickly went silent as Nath's voice murmured: "I'm Brij Nath. Welcome to my humble home."

There was a pause a faint beeping over the comm, when Ethan groaned just slightly. Kat frowned, wondering what was wrong and then she saw as she slipped back into the ballroom. Nash was checking his phone, still leaning beside Jane at the bar but his attention focused fully on whatever he was reading.

"And rover's in position." Benji called. "Spinning down the turbine."

Kat sighed- at least that part of the plan was going smoothly. She then grimaced as Ethan muttered to Jane, getting impatient: "He's e-mailing. Venus. Be Venus. Be Venus."

Jane finally glared at Ethan, fed-up with his constant commentary, and Kat automatically thought: ' _If looks could kill..._ ' Unfortunately, Nath had looked up just in time to catch her hostile look, and he glanced over, spotting Ethan just before Ethan turned away, pretending to be on his phone.

Nath turned back to Jane, his brow raised as he asked: "Husband? Boyfriend?"

Kat tensed, but Jane took it in stride as she answered flirtatiously: "More of a... co-worker."

"Saturn, take the leap." Ethan called as they watched Jane slowly closing in on Nath, moving closer as Nath smirked and his eyes traced over Jane's face. It made Kat feel a little sick and angry in Jane's place, but this was exactly what they were aiming for so she stayed quiet, before her focus was drawn away.

"OK." Brandt answered, clearing his throat nervously and Kat clutched the sides of her dress anxiously. "Jumping. Jumping now…"

He trailed off, before checking: "Jump now?"

"Yes. Commit." Ethan said impatiently. "Jump."

Kat began to chew on her lip, turning her back on the party so that her worried expression wouldn't draw attention, as Brandt repeated shakily: "Jump."

"Jump." Ethan said, his tone annoyed, and Benji added: "And I catch you."

"Now." Ethan ordered. There was a faint shuffle from Brandt's end and Kat's hands clenched in her dress as she waited.

"So, uh," Brandt piped up nervously, "you're sure about this suit, right, Benji?"

Kat cringed as Benji replied uncomfortably: "Pretty sure."

"Now you're pretty sure?" Brandt chuckled in a mix of sarcasm and fear.

"Jump." Ethan ordered, and Kat called anxiously: "Will?"

"No names." Ethan reminded her, but she ignored him as she encouraged: "It'll be fine. Trust me, you'll be fine."

"Oh, God." Brandt groaned breathlessly. "All right."

"Jump." Ethan ordered and they all tensed as they could hear Brandt's heavy breathing as he readied himself mentally. Or emotionally. At this point, Kat didn't care. Her mouth was dry and her heart racing as she envisioned every way this could go wrong and Brandt fell to his death.

"Wait." Brandt muttered and Ethan ordered sharply, getting impatient: "Jump!"

Kat flinched as they heard Brandt yell as he jumped, and she almost passed out right there. She took a deep, calming breath as they heard Brandt breathing heavily. ' _He's all right._ ' She thought it relief before her breath caught again as Jane called softly over the comms, her voice filled with apology and regret: "Jupiter, he's gone."

"Did you jump?" Ethan asked immediately, worried, and Brandt retorted waspishly: "Should I not have jumped? 'Cause I jumped!"

Kat sighed, smiling a little despite herself as she turned back to the party, when something caught her attention.

Ethan sighed before muttering: "Stand by."

"Um, Jupiter?" Kat's voice came across quietly, and Ethan quickly turned to glance at her in concern, before his eyes widened.

"Mercury? What's going on?" Brandt's voice called worriedly, and Ethan murmured for Kat: "Hang on."

Brandt went silent, and it was his turn to bite his lip worriedly as he floated right above the fan, while Ethan watched as Nath stopped before Kat, having caught the woman's relieved expression when she'd turned her attention back to the party. And thinking it was aimed at him for leaving Jane, after Kat's eyes had accidentally met his.

"Jupiter, what's going on?" Benji asked at last, unable to hold it in any longer, and Ethan murmured as he watched Nath speak softly to Kat, and she giggled, making him smile and kiss Kat's hand: "I'm playing a hunch."

It was at that moment when Nath got close enough to Kat that they could hear him through her comms.

"And what is a delectable creature such as yourself, doing all alone on this fine evening?" Nath purred, his eyes roaming over Kat hungrily and making her skin crawl, though she smiled at him outwardly.

"Oh, God." Brandt groaned, and Ethan hissed: "Quiet!"

Brandt groaned again, thinking back to how Kat had looked when she stepped out of the jet bedroom with Jane, ready for the night ahead. Jane had a looked impressive, as to be expected, but Brandt had been stunned by the slightly shorter brunette beside her. Kat's outfit was less striking than Jane's, but the subtleness was its true lure, and it was hard to believe it was the same disheveled and exhausted woman he'd first seen climb into the Secretary's car.

The wine-red accentuated Kat's creamy complexion, and the sweetheart neckline showed off her dainty collarbones. And while slightly more modest in the front than Jane's dress, the bare back left little to the imagination, as did the long slit up the right side of the dress, her willowy legs coated in makeup to hide the scabs and injuries. Her long caramel-coloured locks hung in waves to frame her face, drawing particular attention to her bright green eyes, highlighted by the silver eyeshadow.

It had taken all of Brandt's concentration to show no outward reaction, made especially more difficult when Kat bit her ruby-red lips nervously. And he could only imagine the effect it was having on Nath at the moment.

"Mercury, brush up against him." Ethan advised, noting the way Kat was definitely trying to – and succeeding pretty well in – flirt with Nath. But while her expressions were good, her posture was just on the edge of being stiff, and Ethan could see it was making Nath hold back just slightly, subconsciously wary of rejection.

"Mmm, watching boys and waiting for a _man_ ," Kat murmured in answer to Nath's question as she did as Ethan said, leaning against Nath just slightly, "to show me around."

Brandt groaned again, agitated, but Ethan hissed at him to be quiet as he saw Kat wince just slightly at Brandt's wordless protest.

"You're doing great, Mercury." Ethan encouraged, just as Nath smiled and he purred: "I would like to show you my collection of art."

Kat smiled, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way around this situation, when Jane murmured into the comm: "I was waiting for you to ask."

Kat blinked, and Jane murmured: "Say it, and sound interested."

"I was waiting for you to ask." Kat smiled - a little shyly - at Nath, making Nath's smile widen.

"Come." Nath held up his arm for her to take, and Kat took it with an alluring smile as Jane murmured: "Good. You're doing great, Mercury."

"I'm heading upstairs." Ethan informed them. "Venus, trail Mercury, and be ready for the signal. Mercury, call for Venus as soon as you're clear."

Kat gave the slightest nod as she giggled to something Nath had said while Brandt grumbled: "Yeah. Sounds _great_."

Kat almost frowned, wondering what his problem was, but quickly smoothed it into a smile as Nath glanced at her as he led them down into a side hallway. Ethan hissed at Brandt: "Saturn. _Save it_."

Brandt grumbled, but quietly as Benji began maneuvering the rover, taking him down a side tunnel away from the fan and towards the server. Brandt kept his arms and legs out evenly, trying to maintain his balance as he floated in the air, silently cursing what he was about to do and Brij f-ing Nath while he held back groans every time Kat's soft voice repeated exactly as Jane guided. He kept telling himself the sudden warmth was just from the computers… nothing else.

' _Yeah, right._ ' The little voice inside his head sneered.

"All right," Benji warned, pulling Brandt out of his thoughts, "now be careful because it's probably getting a bit hot."

Brandt hissed in pain as he accidentally hit his hand on the side of the tunnel, pulling it back sharply as he felt it burn. He took a deep breath, keeping calm as Benji continued: "We have to get that satellite before Hendricks does."

"So," Kat glanced up as Nath leaned in, "you are very brave, coming alone."

"I'm not alone." Kat replied, making Nath raise a brow. "I have… friends."

She ran a hand lightly down her side and Nath's eyes immediately followed the movement, resting briefly on her chest before following her hand lower. Meanwhile, Kat was cringing inside, wanting to hurl or hurl something at Nath's head. But she kept a coy smile on her face, doing as Jane was instructing over her comms as the older woman shadowed them.

Kat flinched slightly as Brandt gasped over the comms before yelling urgently: "Up, up, up, up. Ah!"

Her hand, hidden from Nath's view on her other side, gripped the side of her dress as Brandt yelped in pain, before he cried: "Too much, too much, too much!"

Thankfully, Nath had been too busy looking at Kat's leg to notice, and she had schooled her features back into a beguiling smile when his eyes lifted back to her face. Kat's heart was hammering, and she forced herself not to take deep breaths as she heard Brandt exhale sharply, finally hovering at a decent level before the server.

"Problem?" Nath asked as he detected a slight impatience around the woman, and Kat smiled as she answered: "I'm simply anxious to see your collection. I heard you have one of the… finest _private_ collections in the world."

She smiled again, mentally thanking Jane for being so quick on her feet. How the agent could think of all these suggestive comments and actions so quickly was beyond her. Like now.

"Well, at the very least, it's private." Nath replied, his eyes darkening slightly with lust as Kat just brushed her chest against his arm as per Jane's instruction. All while internally cringing and cursing Ethan for having dragged her into this mess. At the moment, she didn't care that she'd gotten to meet Brandt, and Benji, and Brandt, and Jane, and Brandt, and Ethan himself come to think of it, and Brandt, thanks to the accident.

Nothing was worth this humiliation. Nothing. And Brandt.

"Saturn?" Ethan called at that moment. "How we doing in the relay room?"

"In position." Brandt called and Kat exhaled through her nose.

' _God, why does he have to_ sound _sexy too?_ ' She thought in despair.

"I see the satellite." Benji informed them urgently.

"Need those codes, guys." Brandt added, his voice tight with anxiety or exertion, Kat couldn't tell. Kat cringed inside, knowing she was the one they were waiting on, while she tried to pay attention as Nath pointed out one of the many, erotic paintings on the walls.

"All originals from Chhatarpur District." He murmured in what was probably an attempt to sound alluring. "You know, the Tantrics believe," Kat tensed just slightly as his hand brushed over her shoulder, "that the Swadhisthana chakra hides our most subconscious of desires."

Kat tried not to react as Nath's hand slid down her back. Jane was in half a mind to jump him then and she murmured: "I'm heading in-"

She broke off when suddenly a servant walked out from Nath's bedroom, and Jane was forced to swiftly hide before she could be seen, murmuring apologetically: "Mercury, just let him. We're almost there."

"Let him… do what?" Brandt demanded, but neither woman replied as Kat smiled coyly at Nath.

She slipped out of his arms as his hands were about to land on her butt, moving to his bedroom door and leaning on it suggestively as she said, with a raised brow: "You did say… private."

"Well done, Mercury." Jane said in some surprise while Nath's brows shot up before he smiled like a hunter gazing at his prey.

He moved, leaning over her and almost touching their bodies together as he opened the door for her, though Kat almost ruined it when Brandt asked suddenly: "What the hell is that?"

"What the hell _is_ that?" Benji repeated, and Kat turned to move into the room, hiding her face in her hair to mask her concern as Ethan demanded: "What the hell is _what_?"

Nath spun Kat around, startling her as he brought her close to his chest. But Kat's eyes widened as she heard Brandt yell, his voice echoing strangely over the comms: "It's going haywire!"

Kat saw Nath frown, staring at her as she betrayed her fear for one second. Not knowing what else to do, when they were so close, Kat grabbed Nath by his lapels… and kissed him. Hard.


	11. Mission accomplished

"It's downloaded a virus from the satellite." Benji explained as Kat pulled herself and Nath further into the bedroom, keeping their lips glued as Nath grabbed at her hungrily. Her skin crawled everywhere he touched but she held it in desperately as she begged for Jane to come in.

"Hendricks is killing the server before we can kill the satellite." Ethan realized, and Kat thought frantically: ' _Please, hurry up,_ someone _!_ '

"Hendricks is reprogramming the satellite." Benji called. "He's gonna have launch capability in five minutes!"

In hindsight, Kat shouldn't have kissed Nath. No-one knew she was in trouble, because she was now effectively out of Jane's sight and she couldn't speak because her mouth was otherwise occupied with keeping Nath from questioning her strange reaction, while at the same time trying to keep Nath from sticking his tongue down her throat.

"Mercury? Venus?" Ethan called urgently. "Gotta move. We need that code."

"Mercury?" Jane called, clearly waiting for a signal, while Ethan ordered: "Venus, when Mercury gives the signal, you kick his ass, and get the code."

"Kat? Today, please!" Brandt added, his voice sounding strained and still echoing a little strangely over the comms. As though he was shouting over a loud wind.

' _I can't give the damn signal!_ ' Kat shouted in her head before she decided they needed a hint.

"Mmm!" Nath groaned loudly and appreciatively as Kat deepened the kiss, sticking her tongue into his mouth and trying not to hurl.

There was a pause over the comms, before Brandt asked slowly: "What was that?"

"That sounded like-" Benji began when Jane charged into the bedroom. Jane saw Kat and froze, as Kat saw Jane over Nath's shoulder and she pointed a free hand harshly at the back of Nath's head as she continued to kiss and distract him.

Jane immediately understood, and charged over as Kat pulled back from the kiss. Nath blinked, frowning slightly in confusion as Kat glared at him furiously, but before he could react Jane had grabbed his arm, throwing him over her shoulder and onto his bed as Kat moved aside.

Jane locked her arms around Nath's neck, holding him in a deadly chokehold while Kat wiped her mouth in disgust with one of the many fabrics hanging decoratively around the room.

"Move and I break your neck." Jane warned as Nath gasped for breath, clutching at her arms but to no avail. Her grip was firm as she snarled: "The override sequence for the relay station. Say it now or never speak again."

Nath grunted, struggling and Jane's grip tightened, her voice harsher as she ordered: "The codes!"

"Forty-six." He finally gasped out. "Eighty-two. Ninety-three."

"Please tell me you guys got that." Kat begged under her breath, but her hopes were dashed as Brandt yelled in alarm: "Benji, what happened?"

"The system's crashed!" Benji cried. "We're too late."

"No, I did _not_ kiss that pervert for nothing!" Kat thundered, and Brandt asked sharply: " _What?!_ "

"Save it, you two!" Ethan ordered. "It's not over yet."

Kat exhaled sharply as Ethan continued: "Hendrick's revealed himself. Benji, can you pinpoint Hendricks's location?"

"Uh," Benji replied as he searched quickly, "Hendricks is signaling out of a state-run TV station six-point-seven miles from here."

"Send me the coordinates." Ethan ordered. "Good work, Brandt. Now get the hell outta there."

"Back me up!" Brandt shouted, and Ethan continued: "Kat, good work. Get out of there and find Brandt. Jane, tie it off with Nath, meet me at the rally point."

"Go." Jane ordered and Kat ran from the room as Jane grabbed her tranquilizer from her thigh-holster. She stabbed Nath with it, knocking him out before following Kat's footsteps out of the bedroom.

Kat dashed as quickly as she could without actually running, slipping passed guests and servers as she headed for the kitchen. She spotted the Russian police officers in the middle of the room, including their favourite Mr. Unreasonable, just as Ethan had warned. They'd spotted Ethan and were heading upstairs, so she was safe as she ducked into the hallway leading to the kitchen, when Brandt called urgently: "Faster, Benji! Just straight through!"

She flinched as there was a thud and Brandt shouted sharply: "Wait! Stop! Take me through!"

"It's not responding!" Benji countered. "A little bit of patience would be appreciated."

"Benji, hurry!" Kat called, alarmed by Brandt's tone, as she slipped into the kitchen and down the stairs towards the lower level. The moment she was out of sight, she removed her heels and made a dash for the ventilation shaft, spotting the open area where Brandt must've jumped from.

She reached it and peered down to see-

"Will!" She screamed in horror as he floated about halfway between the fan and the opening.

"Kat?" Brandt asked and she cried: "Oh, my God! Benji!"

"I'm trying!" Benji cried back frantically, and Brandt shouted: "I can't reach the top! More fan! More fan!"

"There's nothing I can do!" Benji bit back, his anxiety and fear making his voice raw. "It's maxed out!"

Kat blanched. If the fan was maxed out, it would be only a matter of time before it or the rover crashed.

"Will, you have to move!" Kat cried, and he shouted back: "Get back!"

"What?" Kat asked blankly, and he ordered: "BACK!"

Kat watched as he suddenly curled in on himself, dropping like a stone back down towards the fan, and her eyes widened in understanding. Kat hastily moved away from the opening backing up and giving Brandt plenty of space.

Brandt unfolded himself, spread-eagling his body once more as he reached just above the fan. The momentum combined with the fan's power threw him high up the shaft, and he flew past the opening Kat had vacated at his order. Brandt grabbed a protruding metal panel, using it to keep him lifted high as he aimed for the opening, when a sharp clang made him look down.

His eyes widened as he saw the rover getting pulled up by the fan's power, before the device was sliced to pieces by the rotating fan. He quickly let go of the panel, leaping to the other side of the ventilation shaft to avoid getting killed by the broken pieces of the rover as it shot up the shaft like bullets. He bent his legs as he landed on the other side, pushing off as soon as his feet touched the side of the shaft and he launched himself across and through the opening in the vents.

"Will!" Kat cried as he landed heavily on the ground before her, and Benji called worriedly: "Brandt?"

"Will?" Kat gasped as she knelt beside the man, and he groaned, exhausted and in pain.

"Next time," he gasped out, "I get to seduce the rich guy."

"Yeah," Kat agreed shakily, "I wouldn't mind."

He glanced at her sharply, but she was already moving to examine him, checking his sweat-soaked clothes for any signs of blood or injuries. She sighed in relief as she saw he was fine, aside from the obvious exhaustion, and she turned to him as she began: "Well, it looks like you got lucky-"

She broke off as he sat up rapidly, groaning with the effort, and she fluttered her hands about him anxiously as she asked: "Will? I'm not sure you should be moving-"

"Did he kiss you?" Brandt demanded and Kat frowned.

"What?" She asked in confusion, and Brandt repeated sharply: "Did he kiss you?"

"Well, yeah," Kat replied, still confused, "although technically I kissed him, so-"

" _You_ kissed him?" Brandt repeated incredulously and Kat's frown deepened as she replied: "Yes. Now-"

"Why did you kiss him?" Brandt demanded and Kat exhaled sharply, annoyed.

"Because I had to distract him from my reaction after you got yourself caught in a fan!" She snapped. "Now-"

"Why'd you have to kiss him?" Brandt asked, and Kat replied, exasperated: "It was all I could think of-"

"You didn't think to call Jane? Or Ethan?" Brandt demanded, and Kat snapped: "I don't know, it was a split-second decision, and it seemed like the right one at the time-"

"It was _not_ the right decision." Brandt shouted at her and she shouted back: "I know! There, are you happy now?!"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Benji called over the comms as the pair glared at each other, "but we really need to get moving."

"Yes, if Mr. Brandt would stop accusing me!" Kat snapped, royally ticked off by what she took to be scolding. Brandt's jaw had clenched but he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. It wasn't his place, anyway.

"Yeah, sorry, Benji, we're on our way." Brandt muttered as he got to his feet shakily. Kat eyed him, torn between worry and irritation, when he held out his hand.

"Come on." He ordered and Kat stared at his hand and then at Brandt before she slowly took it. He quickly led them back up the way they'd come, both ignoring the eyebrows the kitchen staff raised at his sweaty appearance and her mussed hair and makeup.

"Benji?" Brandt called as he ran outside with Kat, and Benji confirmed: "Waiting at the gate."

"In." Brandt ordered as he and Kat ran for their car and Kat snapped as she wrenched the car door open: "I know, thanks!"

He glanced at her, before stepping on the gas before Kat had fully closed the door. She yelped, slamming the door shut and catching the edge of her dress, causing it to rip a little.

"What is your problem?" She demanded, but Brandt didn't reply as he stomped on the brakes, almost causing Kat to fly out of her seat if his hand hadn't come up and caught her.

"Will?" She demanded, wondering why he was acting so angry with her, as Benji quickly slid into the backseat of the car.

"Go, go!" Benji ordered, and Kat gave up on getting an answer, simply strapping herself in as Brandt took off again, zooming down the streets of Mumbai.

"I'm here, Ethan." Benji called as soon as he was settled, and Ethan called over the comms sharply: "How long until Hendricks can launch a missile?"

"Less than thirty seconds!" Benji shouted, and Brandt glanced over. He shared a grim look with Kat, the two putting their differences on hold for the moment as Brandt called: "Find us the quickest route."

Kat immediately started working on it, and she ordered: "Next right."

Brandt stomped on the gas, speeding them across three lanes to get to the turn and ignoring all the honks as cars were forced to stop and people yelled insults after them.

"Ethan!" Benji shouted. "Hendricks has started the launch sequence."

"How much time until missiles are flying?" Ethan replied immediately, and Benji replied anxiously: "Three minutes!"

"How far are we?" Brandt demanded, and Kat answered tensely: "Five minutes."

"Any way to get there faster?" Brandt demanded, and Kat shook her head.

"Next left, into the alley." She whispered and Brandt's jaw locked as he did as she said. There was no hope, but maybe, just maybe, Ethan's team would be able to get there in time to stall until they arrived.

"Left again." Kat told Brandt and he swerved harshly, Kat bouncing slightly in her seat as the car made the tight turn around.

"Oh no." Benji murmured, and Kat closed her eyes.

Brandt also exhaled, an air of despair settling over them as Benji called dejectedly: "Ethan? We're too late. The missile's in the air."

Brandt glanced over at Kat, just as she opened her eyes. She stared back at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and fear, and he gripped the wheel tighter.

"It's not over until that missile hits." Brandt said determinedly, turning back to face the road.

Benji gaped at him, but Kat's eyes steeled with the determination as Brandt asked: "Which way?"

"Right, down that alley and then left." Kat told him and Brandt spun the car again.

"Two and a half minutes." Kat informed him, and Brandt nodded tightly as Benji cried: "You two are mad! There's no way-"

"Ethan wouldn't give up." Kat cut in. "So neither will we. Our chief analyst says we have a chance," Brandt glanced at her as she met his gaze, "so we do."

She held his gaze determinedly, their fight on an indefinite hold, and Brandt nodded.

"Which way?" He asked as he turned back to the road, making the left she'd told him about.

"Straight." Kat replied tensely. "One minute."

Benji opened his mouth before shutting it and instead setting his face with determination.

"There!" Kat called as they saw the TV station, Ethan's car already parked outside.

"Stay in the car!" Brandt ordered as he pulled up sharply beside Ethan's abandoned car, and Kat snapped: "Like hell I will!"

Brandt didn't bother arguing as he and Benji ran ahead, drawing their guns as Kat sprinted after them, although she made sure she kept low. She waited as the pair charged into the control room, watching as they flinched, pointing their guns at someone before lowering it.

"Kit-Kat." Benji called and she joined him as Brandt moved to check the room's perimeter while Jane reported: "Wistrom destroyed the relay."

Benji moved to check the relay as Brandt joined them once more, and Jane continued: "Ethan went after Hendricks and the case, but-"

"It doesn't matter if he has the case." Benji cut in with a sigh as he held up the broken pieces of the relay. "We can't transmit the abort codes."

"Can you fix it?" Brandt demanded, and Benji sighed, glancing over the machine before he answered: "Uh, yeah, of cour-"

He was cut off as the lights suddenly went out as the power shut down.

"Well," Benji said a little sarcastically, "it's gonna be pointless if we don't have any power."

"Winstram!" Jane snarled as she and Brandt immediately whipped out flashlights. Benji and Kat reached for theirs as well, switching it on as Jane moved to check the perimeter before doubling over slightly in pain.

"Jane." Brandt called worriedly, moving to check her as she gripped the sides of another relay machine.

"I'm OK." Jane insisted, but Brandt had already caught sight of the blood seeping out the wound on Jane's side.

"No, you are not OK." Brandt muttered before informing Benji and Kat. "She's hit."

Kat moved over worriedly as Benji hesitated by the relay, but Brandt was already formulating a plan as he ordered: "OK, you," he told Jane firmly, "stay here and cover Benji. Benji," he turned to the techie, "get this thing rewired and back online."

He turned to Kat. "Kat, you stay put and stay hidden." Kat opened her mouth in an outrage but Brandt cut over her: "I'll get the power on."

"I'm not sitting here with nothing to do." Kat interjected as Jane moved to cover Benji.

"You can help Benji." Brandt replied, and she pointed out: "With what? There's only one relay, and it won't even work until we get the power on."

"I can't take you with me!" Brandt snapped, and Kat argued: "We can't afford to lose time. Wistrom's on the loose, and Benji has to stay here while Jane can't move. Our best bet is for me to go with you and if we run into Wistrom, I can go ahead to try get the power on."

"She has a point." Benji said unhappily, but Brandt said, appalled: "We can't put a civilian in danger."

"He has a point." Benji told Kat, who gave him a look.

Benji shut his mouth while Kat turned to Brandt and she said urgently: "Will, we're wasting time. There will be no point in trying to keep a 'civilian' safe if that warhead hits the US. My safety is not more important than this mission."

"She has a point." Jane pointed out to Brandt, who exhaled sharply through his nose.

"Okay, but stick close to me and do _exactly_ as I say." He ordered and Kat nodded.

"I promise." She answered and Brandt muttered something that sounded suspiciously like: "I'm going to regret this."

Jane glanced at him sharply, but no-one else noticed as Brandt gestured for Kat to follow him and he took off into the dark hallways, Kat right behind him.

* * *

They'd just reached the hallway with the power room, and Kat could see the open door halfway down the corridor, marked 'Danger', when Brandt held up a hand to stop her. She paused, glancing at him to see he was eyeing the door further down the corridor, leading to what appeared to be the emergency stairs. Looking at it carefully, Kat saw that it was just partially open, as though whoever had last left had done so in a hurry and hadn't had the time to make sure it closed properly behind them.

Brandt gestured for her to crouch down, and she did as he ordered, moving slowly behind him as he edged towards the power room. He gestured for her to go inside while he slowly advanced on the stairwell door, his gun trained at the door in case of a sudden attack. Kat did as he silently ordered, slipping into the power room and looking around quickly for the main switch.

She'd just caught sight of it - a large red lever on the far right of the wall - when a hand shot out from the shadows, wrapping around her mouth and muffling her shout for help. Kat clawed at the hand as it pressed tightly down on her mouth, the thick arm wrapping around her neck in a semi-headlock, before she stilled as she felt cold metal press to her side.

"Not a sound." A hoarse voice, with the faintest hint of an accent, whispered in her ear and Kat squirmed as he began to drag her back into the shadows with him while the stairwell door squeaked slightly outside.

' _Will!_ ' Kat tried to scream warningly, but Wistrom's hand was pressed harshly against her mouth and his arm squeezed her neck threateningly. They heard a small shuffle outside as Brandt probably turned back for the power room and Kat squirmed more as Wistrom started to remove his gun from her side.

Just as Brandt started to enter the room, clearly wary, Wistrom aimed his gun- and Kat stomped on Wistrom's foot. His grip on her mouth lessened just enough for her to cry: "Will!"

Brandt spun at her warning, just as Wistrom fired two shots. Kat breathed in relief as Brandt ducked, avoiding the bullets as he pointed his gun towards the sound, but he hesitated as his eyes landed on Kat in front of Wistrom, squirming a little as Wistrom's gun dug into her side once more.

"Drop the gun, or I'll shoot her." Wistrom warned and Brandt paused.

"Will!" Kat choked out, trying to shake her head although it was cut off as Wistrom tightened his grip around her neck.

"Shut up." Wistrom snarled at her. "Or you'll pay for it, and for that little trick you just pulled."

Brandt hesitated, feeling conflicted as he saw Kat's face turn slightly blue, and he could see the traces of fear in her eyes, but more than that, there was a fiery determination as she met his gaze before flicking her eyes over to a large red lever. He knew what she was trying to say, what she was silently urging him to do and his heart sank even as his jaw locked in determination.

"Now!" Wistrom ordered, and Brandt slowly began to lower his gun to Kat's horror.

"Will!" She gasped out, trying to free herself from Wistrom's grip, when Brandt suddenly fired. The bullet hit Wistrom's hand, making him yell as he dropped his gun… but not before he fired once as well.

Kat gasped as the bullet pierced her side, before she felt blinded by a searing pain. She barely noticed as Brandt fired again, but Wistrom ducked before throwing Kat's sagging body at Brandt. Brandt caught her, distracted, and giving Wistrom time to lunge for his gun, forcing Brandt to drop Kat as he jumped at Wistrom before the man could reach the weapon.

Wistrom spun as he saw Brandt's movements from the corner of his eye catching Brandt's gun before Brandt could fire, twisting it away while Brandt threw his free hand in a punch at Wistrom's head. Wistrom dodged it before landing a blow of his own to Brandt's head, causing Brandt to get knocked back into the wall. He grabbed Wistrom's hand before the man could land another punch, throwing his other fist at Wistrom and hitting him right across the jaw.

Wistrom ducked the next punch however, punching Brandt right in the stomach and making him grunt in pain before yelling as Wistrom tackled him into the wall. Kat was trying to shake the pain and get her bearings as the two men fought, her vision slowly coming back into focus as she struggled to think through the pain, when Brandt's cry cut through the fog and she could focus.

She took a deep breath, swallowing hard as she glanced at her side and she almost passed out from the sight of all the blood seeping through the bullet wound. But Kat grit her teeth, forcing herself to look and she saw that while the bullet had definitely gone right through her side, it had grazed closer to her waist than her stomach. Probably because Brandt's bullet hitting Wistrom's hand had caused the man's aim to shift slightly at the time he'd fired. Kat probably had to thank her lucky stars that it had shifted outwards and not further inwards.

' _Thank your stars later._ ' She scolded herself as she slowly pushed herself up, fighting back a scream of pain at the movement. She heard Brandt grunt behind her, and while it meant he was probably in pain she also knew it meant Wistrom was busy. This was her chance. She struggled to her feet, staggering a little as she leant on the wall for stability, reaching one hand towards the lever even as her vision swam from the pain.

But right as her fingers touched the switch, Kat cried out in pain and her hand slipped as Wistrom smashed an elbow to the side of her head. She fell back to her knees, her head pounding as her side screamed in agony, before she was hit again in the side of the head by Brandt's knee as Wistrom shoved Brandt into the wall.

"Kat!" He gasped as she moaned, before Wistrom threw him away and aimed a kick at Kat. Brandt grabbed Wistrom's jacket, hauling him back and making him miss in his kick as Kat's head lolled before she shook it, forcing herself to think. She could pass out from blood loss or concussion later.

Kat reached up, grabbing the lever as Brandt punched Wistrom in the head. Wistrom reeled back, but before Brandt could land another punch, Wistrom grabbed Brandt's head in a headlock, choking him as he yelled at Kat: "Leave it or he dies!"

Kat glanced back, freezing when she saw the opposite situation of what had occurred just ten minutes ago. Brandt was scrambling to free himself, his hands tugging at Wistrom's arms but Wistrom simply tightened his hold on Brandt's neck. Kat hesitated, not knowing what to do.

A shot rang out and Kat flinched while Brandt blinked, before Wistrom sagged against him, dragging Brandt with him as he fell to the ground. Dead. Kat blinked once before turning and shoving the lever up. The lights turned on, and in the relay room Jane shoved the disks into place.

Far away, Ethan punched the red button in the briefcase he'd won over from Hendricks, and even further away, right above the San Francisco Bay Area, a nuclear warhead de-activated, clipping the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid, but otherwise spinning harmlessly into the ocean.

Kat collapsed, letting go of the lever as she sagged against the wall, before she gasped in pain as Brandt pulled her up, turning her to face him as he called urgently: "Kat?"

"Will…" Kat breathed, sighing happily as she saw he was alive and fine, apart from a few bruises. She then surprised them both as she leant up and pressed her lips softly against his.

Brandt blinked, frozen, as he stared into Kat's eyes. Her eyes widened suddenly as her actions caught up with her mind and she pulled her head back, alarmed.

"Um-" She began when Brandt placed a hand on the back of her head and dipped his head down to kiss her. Kat blinked, before she let go of all thought and kissed him back. She didn't care that there was no way this would work, or that she'd just been shot, or even that they'd just saved the world.

All she cared about was the feel of his lips on hers, his hot breath mixing with hers as Brandt deepened the kiss, his fingers wrapping around her hair while Kat placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingers, feel the heat coming off him as he pressed closer, and most of all she could feel the fire that his kiss caused in her blood, warming her whole body as his tongue caressed hers.

It felt like eternity but it had been less than five seconds when they broke apart at last, breathing heavily, as Benji ran up, saying worriedly: "Brandt? Kit-Kat? Oh."

He paused, looking sheepishly between them and their clearly compromising position, when Kat started laughing a little hysterically, making both Brandt and Benji stare at her in concern.

"You know," Kat breathed as she coughed a little amidst her laugh, "I don't think I've ever been this happy to hear that ridiculous nickname."

And with that, she passed out, Brandt holding her up as he called in alarm: "Kat!"


	12. The end?

_"_ _And in other news, eight weeks later,_ _the debate continues._ _Eyewitnesses remain adamant_ _that the object was some sort of aircraft,_ _but officials with the Department of Defense_ _insist it was simply a meteor large enough to be visible during daylight."_

Kat watched the news report absently not really paying it much heed, as her thoughts wandered. She wondered if this was what it was like to be Ethan, or Jane, or Benji… or Brandt. They put their lives at risk to save people only for it to all disappear into the shadows, them included, as the people they'd saved didn't even know they'd been in danger in the first place.

"Kat!"

Kat turned, startled out of her thoughts to see Bella pouting at her.

"You're no listening!" Bella scolded, and Kat smiled.

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly, "I got distracted."

"By that?" Kat's mother, Abigail, asked as she nodded at the TV. "That's a silly old debate; one of those upstarts trying to prove aliens exist or something."

"Aliens do exist." Bella argued immediately. "And ghosts! I've seen one."

"Of course you have, dearie." Abigail replied without missing a beat. She'd long since learnt not to argue with Bella about these kinds of matters; fifteen years would teach anyone that Bella Williams could be more stubborn than even Kat's father.

"Huh, but that is a load of bull." Kat's father, Mike, commented as he gestured at the news. "I mean, really, why would an aircraft go flying across the San Francisco Bay?"

"It could mean the aliens are invading." Bella replied seriously. "Maybe it's why Kat's been so distracted lately!"

"Now, Bella," Abigail said severely, "Kat's been through a rough time after what happened at the Kremlin, and getting lost in the middle of Russia because of a mistake in paperwork at the hospital, with no passport and no way home. She was lucky that kind man offered to help her, oh, what was his name again, Kat?"

"…James." Kat answered absently, and Abigail nodded.

"That was it." She said. "It just goes to show that there are good souls in the world…"

Kat tuned her mother out, staring blankly ahead. It had been eight weeks. Eight weeks, since that whole IMF fiasco. And yet, time had never seemed to move so slowly. It had only been eight weeks, and yet it had been eight whole weeks.

' _Maybe because you never got to say goodbye._ ' Kat thought sadly. She'd woken up, alone, in a hospital in Russia. According to the doctors, she had been moved there after emergency surgery in India, before it was deemed safe enough to bring her back under Mr Unreasonable of all people, or Sidorov's, guidance.

He'd grown on her during the time he'd apologized though- probably because he spilled that Ethan had been hospitalized with her for a while, which prompted her to ask the nurses. After a little pushing, the nurse admitted there had been a man, not Ethan, who watched over her dutifully until just before she woke up, when both he and Ethan disappeared. And Kat knew exactly who, and why.

She thought, given his response to her surprising kiss, that he returned her feelings and she was pretty sure it wasn't rejection. And if she was honest, she'd expected as much, knowing – particularly after Brandt's story about Ethan's wife – that she could never contact them again. But… but she had hoped they might at least have said goodbye, before they left.

Suddenly, Kat was blinking back tears and the room seemed stuffy, and hard to breathe in.

"I'm just going to go outside." Kat muttered, interrupting her mother.

Abigail blinked, surprised while Mike and Bella looked up from where they'd quietly been arguing over the possibility of the mysterious object hitting the Transamerica Pyramid being alien or not.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Abigail asked, concerned as Kat grabbed a jacket and headed for the front door. "You shouldn't really be doing anything strenuous."

"Yeah, I'm just going to get some fresh air." Kat mumbled as she stepped outside, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"What's the matter with her?" Mike demanded, and Abigail shook her head, sighing: "Ever since she got back from Russia… Oh, I knew it was a bad idea to let her go!"

"I'd bet it's boy trouble." Bella advised, and both Mike and Abigail rolled their eyes.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile, at Pier 47, Seattle_**

"Hey." Benji greeted as he, Jane, and Brandt arrived at the place Ethan had told them about.

Ethan turned, smiling at them as Luther commented from his seat across from his old friend: "This must be them."

"Luther Stickell," Ethan introduced, "the firm of Carter, Dunn and Brandt."

Jane grinned as Benji smiled at Luther, who retorted: "I blew an entire weekend on the bottom of the San Francisco Bay. No thanks to you clowns."

Ethan chuckled as Luther took a final swig of his beer before getting up, a hand reaching for his jean pocket as he made to leave.

"No, man, you know I got this." Ethan said, waving Luther's hand away, and Luther chuckled as he replied: "I know."

He removed his hand to point his middle finger at Ethan good-naturedly, before greeting: "I'll see you in Kandahar."

Luther nodded at the others as he left, heading down the pier, while the three moved to sit at the empty chairs as Ethan told them: "Hey, thanks for meeting me."

He glanced at each of them, noting Benji's somewhat disheartened air, Jane's slightly improved air, and Brandt's downright miserable air.

"So," Benji began as he sat down, "I hear the insurance company's refusing to pay the claim on that car you crashed, Ethan. Something about intentional 100-meter vertical drops not being covered."

He smiled, and Ethan chuckled at his joke, replying: "Go figure."

They all chuckled, even Brandt cracking a smile, but it quickly slid off his face. Ethan watched him, but turned his attention to Jane as she asked: "How's the leg?"

"Still working." Ethan replied lightly before he became serious, asking: "You?"

Jane smiled, answering his implied question: "Healing."

Ethan smiled back, before snorting as Benji chimed in: "I'm fine, by the way. I'm not actually sleeping, per se. You know, cold sweats, middle of the night."

The team's expressions became just a little more serious, all understanding. Benji leant forward, whispering: "All these people are just happy and smiling, and they are completely oblivious to the fact that they were almost vaporized. And, if it hadn't been for..."

He trailed off, trying to find the right words, when Brandt chimed in: "Dumb luck?"

"Was it?" Ethan countered. "I mean, look, we were unprepared, in the dark. Disavowed. And accompanied by a civilian."

Jane smiled a little, while Benji glanced at Brandt who'd stiffened just slightly. Ethan pretended not to notice, although his eyes were on Brandt as he continued: "And the only thing that functioned properly on that mission… was this team."

He looked at each of them, as he continued seriously: "I don't know how we ended up together… but I'm glad we did."

He smiled slightly, adding gently as he looked back at Brandt: "And I don't regret meeting anyone from that day."

Benji and Jane glanced at Brandt too, knowing it was where Ethan's implication was pointed. Brandt refused to meet any of their gazes, as Ethan watched him carefully.

Ethan finally broke the silence, pulling out three cell phones and laying them on the table in a row as he said: "Your missions... choose to accept them."

There was a pause as each of them weighed that in their minds, before Benji shrugged: "Hey... I'm in."

The others glanced at him, raising a brow slightly as he said lightly: "Seriously, I mean, it's not as if any mission is going to be rougher than the last one, is it?" He chuckled. "I mean, that's just... A bomb... Is it?"

He pretended to be appalled, before bursting out laughing, the others joining in and even Brandt was chuckling before it faded. They became serious once more as they contemplated the choice before them before Benji took a phone.

He rose, holding out a hand as he greeted: "Thanks, Ethan."

Ethan took it gratefully as he replied: "Thank you."

Benji smiled at them all before he left, and Jane stood next, patting Ethan's shoulder as she said: "Agent Hunt."

"Agent Carter." He replied as she took a phone, shooting one last meaningful look at Brandt before she, too left.

Ethan turned to look at Brandt, watching as the man knit his brows before he exhaled. He stood, not meeting Ethan's eyes as he made to leave without the phone, when Ethan called: "Brandt..."

Brandt paused, sighing before he said quietly: "I'm not picking up that phone, Ethan, because I don't think you want me in the field."

"I know." Ethan commented, and Brandt sighed: "It's not just about… her."

Ethan paused, before glancing out across the pier as Brandt finally admitted: "I know… your wife is dead. I was there in Croatia. I was there for one reason. One."

Ethan listened quietly, waiting as Brandt paused, before he finished, his voice breaking: "And I failed. It was my job to protect her."

"How do you know she's dead?" Ethan asked, his gaze still focused across the pier.

Brandt frowned, glancing at Ethan as he replied slowly: "There was a body."

"Did you see it?" Ethan asked, and Brandt paused. He dared not believe it…

Ethan was still staring across the pier where a ferry had just pulled in, and he watched the group of people disembark as Brandt said uncertainly: "You... You killed those Serbians."

"I had to get her back." Ethan replied, and Brandt continued in disbelief: "You were sent to Rankow Prison."

"That was a sacrifice I was willing to make." Ethan explained. "IMF suspected Hendricks had people in Rankow."

Brandt's mouth fell partially open before he snapped it shut, and he murmured in realization: "And six dead Serbians was the ideal cover."

"Well, waste not, want not." Ethan shrugged as he watched a certain brown-haired woman walking up the pier. Brandt didn't notice his preoccupation, too stunned by this new revelation.

He slowly sank back into one of the chairs beside Ethan, his legs giving out and he placed his head in his hand as he began to chuckle in absolutely disbelief.

"The Secretary never told me." He said at last, and Ethan turned away from the pier to look at Brandt as the man groaned: "Oh, God…"

"I accepted the Rankow Prison mission on one condition." Ethan said to Brandt seriously. "That no one could know she was still alive."

"But..." Brandt commented, looking at Ethan and meeting the other man's eye, "you're telling me."

Ethan nodded and Brandt exhaled as he realized two things.

"When did you find out I was in Croatia?" He asked, choosing the lesser of the two evils, and Ethan replied lightly: "I pulled your file after India."

"Right." Brandt muttered, continuing to skirt around the other issue. "So you had to fake your wife's death."

"As long as we're together, she can never be safe." Ethan replied, and Brandt nodded. "I know you know exactly how that feels."

"Yeah." Brandt sighed before he looked over at the phone on the table. Ethan's offer... and his understanding. "Ok. So, we're good."

He reached for the phone, but Ethan wasn't finished.

"It wasn't your job to protect her, Brandt." Ethan said quietly as his eyes slid back over the pier to stare at the brunette woman walking passed a row of houses. "It's mine."

His eyes paused as the brunette woman walked right passed another woman with lighter brown hair leaning on the gate outside her home.

"Just as it's your job, more than anyone else's, to protect Kat." Ethan finished and Brandt paused. He sighed, looking at Ethan as he opened his mouth to answer before frowning slightly as he noticed Ethan's preoccupation. He glanced in the direction Ethan was looking, and he froze.

"Sometimes," Ethan said quietly as Brandt slowly stood up, "the best way to protect them… is to say goodbye. But, you owe it to them," Brandt looked back at Ethan in disbelief, "to do it properly."

Brandt's eyes were wide and he swallowed as he looked back out over the pier towards the brunette woman, just as she looked in his direction.

* * *

Kat's mouth fell open, and she gasped, her eyes widening when she saw the familiar figure standing on the pier across from her. Green eyes met blue, and then Kat was tugging at her front gate, wrenching it open as she tried to get to Brandt. She finally got her gate unlocked and dashed out, only to see the table empty, its two previous occupants vanished into thin air.

"Not again." Kat whispered, looking around frantically for any sign of Brandt, and who she thought she recognized as Ethan. Kat yelped as someone tugged on her arm, pulling her around. Her hand automatically lifted to hit the other person when she found herself staring right into the blue eyes that she both had dreams and nightmares about.

"Will…" Kat breathed, her hand stilling, although a part of her still itched to slap him, as he gazed back at her. "It's actually you. You're here."

"Yeah." Brandt muttered as Kat moved the hand she'd been meaning to hit him with, placing it gently against his cheek as she made sure he was real. Brandt leant into her touch, closing his eyes momentarily before opening them and staring at her, as though reading her soul.

"How…?" Kat began, and Brandt explained: "Ethan wanted to meet us here."

"Us?" Kat asked, and Brandt elaborated: "Me, Benji, Jane."

"They were here?" Kat asked, but her eyes didn't even move to search for her other friends, a large part of her terrified that Brandt would disappear the second she was no longer looking.

"Yeah. They left before we saw you." Brandt murmured, before finally asking: "What are you doing here?"

"My parents live here." Kat replied, and Brandt nodded.

"Oh… so that's why Ethan was adamant about meeting here." He muttered, and Kat finally found her tongue.

"Why did you just leave?" She demanded. "Why didn't you say goodbye? Didn't I deserve at least that much?"

It had been plaguing her ever since he'd disappeared without a trace- _why_? She could understand him leaving, and she would never stop him. But…

"I know." Brandt said quietly, and Kat snapped, her temper flaring a little: "That's not an answer."

"I know." Brandt repeated, a faint smile appearing on his face before it disappeared as he became serious once more. "I… just hoped, it might make it easier. For both of us."

"It didn't." Kat told him bluntly, and Brandt winced.

"Yeah, I know." He muttered. "I've regretted it every day since."

He stared at Kat, his hand moving to hover just over her cheek as he fought against saying out loud what could never be said between them. His fingers barely brushed over her cheek, before he dropped it back to his side.

"I'm sorry." He murmured at last, and Kat nodded.

"I'm sorry, too." She whispered, before Brandt leaned in and she leaned up to meet him as he pressed his lips to hers. His lips were soft as they gently caressed hers, before his hands tightened around her waist, pulling her against him as his tongue glided along her bottom lip, seeking permission, which she gladly gave.

Brandt deepened the kiss as Kat's hands moved to the back of his neck, holding him close as his kiss became desperate and his hands bit into her skin in an effort to somehow bring her closer against him. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she kissed him back for all she was worth, both knowing that when the kiss ended, it would be over. It would be the end, the final period at the close of a chapter that neither wanted to finish.

But air was a necessity and all too soon for them, they broke apart. Kat didn't open her eyes as she breathed heavily, feeling his breath against her cheek as Brandt also caught his breath back. She slowly loosened her grip on his neck as he let go of her waist, the pair still standing close but no longer touching. She was fighting back tears, and Kat didn't dare open her eyes, feeling Brandt's gaze on her face and knowing that if she looked at him now, she would break down and cry.

His lips ghosted over her forehead before he whispered against her skin: "Goodbye, Kat."

Kat opened her eyes as she felt his warmth disappear, and he was already gone. She bit down on her lip, trying to stop the tears from falling as she slowly roamed the pier with her eyes, knowing there was no point but holding onto that shred of hope. But it was time to return to reality, and she swallowed as she found no sign that Brandt existed let alone that he'd been there just seconds ago.

The only remainder of his presence was the tingling feeling on her lips from where he'd surely bruised it with the force of his kiss. Another tear slipped down her face before she brushed it away determinedly.

"Goodbye." Kat whispered into the wind that had both brought and taken him, before she turned, heading back to her house with her head held high.

"Where have you been?" Abigail demanded as Kat closed the door behind her.

"Just… thinking." Kat replied and Abigail raised a brow as she studied her daughter.

"Oh? And what were you thinking about?" She asked, noting the lighter atmosphere surrounding Kat compared to when she'd left the house. Kat smiled.

"Ghosts."

*A/N Thank you to all my readers for sticking with me 'til the end. Your support has meant the world to me, and I'm grateful for every single person who read, commented, and favourited. There will be a sequel based on Rogue Nation, so stay tuned for when that gets posted! Until then!


	13. SEQUEL POSTED

It's a little late but I've started the sequel! The story is titled "Rogue Nation: Meet the IMF" and can also be found on my profile, for all those interested. Once again, thank you for supporting this book and I hope to see you all again in the next one!


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